FORENSIC

PHOTOGRAPHY
CHAPTER 3
THE CAMERA

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 OVERVIEW
• WHAT IS CAMERA ?
• CAMERA TYPES
• ESSENTIALS COMPONENTS OF CAMERA
• ESSENTIAL PARTS OF A CAMERA
• CAMERA LENSES
• TYPES OF LENS ABERRATION
• CAMERA ACCESSORIES
• BASIC CRIME SCENE AND EVIDENCE
PHOTOGRAPHY KIT
• PROPER HANDLING OF THE CAMERA
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 • By definition, a camera is
photographic apparatus used to
expose sensitized film or plates to
THE CAMERA reflected light images formed by a
lens. It can also be considered as
alight tight box with means of
forming the image, holding
sensitized materials, and controlling
the amount of light that will reach
the film.

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 CAMERA TYPES
1. SLR (SINGLE LENS REFLEX
• They could be either digital or use 35mm
film. An SLR camera’s unique feature lies in
the design of its viewfinder system in which
a system of mirrors shows the user the
image precisely as the lens renders it.
• types of camera best suited for police work

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 CAMERA TYPES
2. COMPACT OR POINT-AND-SHOOT CAMERAS
• can be either digital or film cameras and are light and
easy use.
• This non-SLR camera does not support interchangeable
lenses and the view seen through the viewfinder is not
exactly the same as that seen through the lens
• They are called point-and-shoot because they have
controls that are either very simplified or very automated
(or both).
• Such cameras are meant to be used to record snapshots
without having to learn how to use a camera.
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 CAMERA TYPES
3. MEDIUM-FORMAT CAMERAS
• use wide rolls of film (between the 35mm
and 4x5-inch formats) for better image
definition.
• Because of the large negative size, the
image resolution is higher with medium-
format than 35mm cameras.
• These cameras tend to be more expensive,
and lenses tend to be large.
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 CAMERA TYPES
4. Twin lens reflex camera

•camera with dual lens , one for

focusing and the other one for
forming the image.

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 CAMERA TYPES
5. View finder type
• considered as smallest and simplest type of
camera

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 CAMERA TYPES
6. View or press type
• considered as the biggest and the most
sophisticated camera.
• Used in movie making

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 ESSENTIALCOMPONENTS OF A CAMERA
A camera should have the following controls and adjustments
1. A mean to accurately aim the camera and compose the picture;
2. An ability to focus precisely;
3. A shutter to control the moment of exposure and how long light acts
on the sensitive surface;
4. An aperture to control image brightness and depth of field;
5. A method of loading and removing film, without allowing unwanted
light to affect it; and
6. A meter to measure the light and indicate or set the exposure needed
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for each shot.
 Essential Parts of a Camera
1. Light-Tight Box or Body- part of the
camera that is very important because
of its capability to exclude all the
unwanted light that might expose the
film.

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2. Lens- a glass, plastic, or
crystal optical element molded
into a curved shape that can
bend and focus rays of light;
responsible for focusing the
rays of light coming from the
subject.

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3. Film Holder-
holds the film firmly inside the camera

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4. Shutter- device used to control the amount
of time during which light is allowed to
enter the camera and register on the film or
image sensor; serves as the barrier of the
rays of light that will enter and affect the
film inside the camera Settings the shutter at
certain speeds enables the camera to
determine the length of time the film is
exposed. Moving the shutter speed dial to
the next stop either doubles or halves
exposure time.
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5. Viewfinder- an optical or
electrical device used to
compose and frame a scene;
shows the entire scene coverage
that can be recorded in the film
inside the camera; also called a
view system, a finder or a
viewing screen.
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1.Film Advancer & Lever- a
mechanism for moving film
from one spool to another
incrementally one frame at a
time.

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8. Lens Aperture- an opening
(diaphragm) in a light-blocking
plate that allows light to strike
the film or image sensor; the
ratio between the diameter and
focal length of the lens; the
light gathering power of the
lens.
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1.Focusing mechanism- the
sharpness or clearness of the
objects being photographed will
depend upon the focusing system
of the camera. The focus is the
physical point at which rays and
light from lens converge to form
a properly defined image of the
subject.
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 CAMERA LENSES
As defined above, a lens is a glass, plastic, or crystal optical element molded
into a curved shape that can bend and focus rays of light coming from the
subject.
Simple lenses feature a single convex or concave lens. Most
photographic lenses feature multiple elements housed in a single lens barrel
that cancel out each element’s weaknesses to produce a sharp image. The size
of the individual lens elements and their position determine the angle of view
and focal length of the lens.
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 Standard Camera Lenses
1.Standard/Normal Lens
A standard lens or normal lens
has a focal length that is roughly
equivalent to the diagonal of the
light-sensitive, image recording
area within the camera. They
usually have wide maximum
apertures, making them useful in
low-light situations; 23
1. Wide-angles Lens
A wide-angle lens has a focal length shorter than
the diagonal of the film frame or image sensor. It
provides a broader angle of view than a standard
lens and is therefore ideal for photographing a
group of people or when working in confined
space. However, distortion may be a problem if
the lens is used too close to a subject;
A wide-angle lens is also sometimes called a
short lens. These lenses can be rectilinear
(straight lines are preserved) or fisheye (showing
extreme barrel distortion); 24
1.Long- Focus Lens
A long focus lens has a focal
length that is much greater than
the diagonal of the film image
format with which it is used.
Longer focal lengths are useful
for taking large images of distant
subjects or when unable to move
close enough to the subject to
use a shorter lens; and 25
1. Zoom Lens
A zoom lens has a variable focal
length. It allows fine-tuning of
subjects framing by adjusting the
focal length of the lens.

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 Special Camera Lenses and Zooms
1. Mirror Lens
A mirror lens uses a combination of
glass elements and mirrors that
bounce the light up and down the lens
barrel, manipulating the light rays to
allow a long focal length to be
contained within a physically short
space. The compact design reduces
the bulk and weight associated with
extreme long-focus lenses
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1.Ultra Wide-Angles Lens
Linearly corrected ultra-
wide-angle lenses have a
focal length ranging from
around 21mm down to
around 15mm.

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1.Wide-Angle Zoom
A wide-angle zoom is likely
to be slower and heavier and
to show more image
distortion than wide-angle
fixed focal length.

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1.Shift Lens
A shift lens is also sometimes
called a perspective control lens.
It can be shifted off-center in
relation to the film frame, so that
the correct perspective can be
achieved when photographing
converging vertical lines such as
tall buildings.
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1.Macro Lens
Macro lenses are designed to render
a subject with 1:1 or higher
magnification for very close
focusing distances. They are useful
in taking close-ups of small
subjects or isolating details of larger
subjects because they allow the
camera to focus extremely close to
a subject to record a detailed image.
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1.Telephoto Lens
A telephoto lens has a focal
length longer than the
diagonal of the film frame or
image sensor. Telephoto
lenses make a subject appear
larger on film than a normal
lens at the same camera-to-
subject distance. 32
1. Telephoto Zoom
A telephoto zoom ranging from 75-
300mm encompasses about six fixed
focal length lenses. This type of zoom
is popular with sports and wildlife
photographers . it is also useful for
portraits and can be used to
photograph architectural and
landscape details.

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 CLASSIFICATION OF LENSES
Positive Lens- a convex lens
characterized by the fact that is
thicker in the middle than the edge,
and forms a real image on the
opposite side of the lens. It has a
positive focal length and bends the
rays together, which makes it a
converging lens.

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2. Negative Lens
A concave lens characterized by the fact
that is thinner in the middle than the edge
and forms a virtual image on the same
side of the lens. It does not require
focusing at all, as everything will be
sharp, upright and clear, no matter how
close or far away the object .it is also
known as a diverging lens because of its
power to diverge rays of light that passes
through it.

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 2 TYPES OF LENS ABERRATIONS

1. CHROMATIC ABERRATION
– inability of lens to focus light of
varying wavelength. The lens refract
rays of short wavelength and
therefore bring blue rays to shorter
focus than red

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 TYPES OF CHROMATIC
ABERRATION
 Longitudinal chromatic aberration. “LoCA” or “bokeh fringing”
occurs when different wavelengths of color do not converge at the
same point after passing through a lens, leading to color fringing
around subjects throughout the entire image, from the center to the
edges. Longitudinal chromatic aberrations are most common with
fast lenses with wider aperture settings. Slower lenses are less prone
to LoCA. Photographers correct for this by stopping down the lens.

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 Lateral chromatic aberration. “Transverse chromatic
aberration” occurs when, due to the angle of light entering the
lens, different wavelengths of color focus on the same plane,
but at different positions. Lateral chromatic aberrations are
visible only at the edges of the frame. Stopping down a lens
does not correct this, so photographers rely on post-production
or in-camera solutions to alleviate this type of aberration.

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MONOCHROMATIC ABERRATIONS
Monochromatic aberrations are the resultant imperfection
when lenses can’t focus a single color of light. The
aberration is due to imperfections in a lens’s optical
system.

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5 Different Types of Monochromatic Aberration
SPHERICAL ABERRATION – in
ability of the lens to focus
light passing side of the lens
producing an image that
sharp in the center and
blurred at the side.

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Comatic aberration: –
inability of the image to
travel straight or lateral

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astigmatism: horizontal and
vertical axis are not equally
magnified

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Field curvature: the relation
of the image are incorrect
with respect to one another

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Distortion: Occurring when the lens projects a wider
scene across a sensor or film plane, the image fails to
retain its recti linearity. Distortion, which can happen
vertically or horizontally, is most noticeable when trying
to capture straight lines—bending and curving lines make
the scene look unrealistic. “Barrel distortion” is when the
captured scene looks smaller at the edges of the image
than in the center.
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Types of Lens According to their Degree of Correction
1.Achromatic or apochromatic – lens corrected for chromatic
aberration
2.Aspherical- lens corrected for spherical aberration.
3.Anagmatism or anastimastic- lens corrected from astigmatism
4.Process- lens corrected for astigmatism but with higher
correction to color; a super corrected lens for astigmatism
5.Rapid rectilinear- lens corrected for distortion; a combination of
two achromatic lenses with almost the same focal length.
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 Camera accessories

Tripod- a stand consisting of

three legs and a mounting
head a camera; used to
support and stabilize.

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Cable release- a cable with a
button or plunger attached
to a camera to prevent
accidental movement and
eliminate camera shake

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Flash unit- an artificial light
source synchronized with
the opening and closing of
the shutter to emit a brief
but very bright burst of
illumination to a scene

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Light meter- a device used
in determining the intensity
of light that strikes the
subjects and affects the film

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Extension tube a tube
inserted between the lens
and camera body to provide
increased magnification for
macrophotography; used in
photographing minute
objects

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Filter- a piece of colored glass,
gelatin, plastic, or other material
that attaches to or over the camera
or enlarger lens to selectively
absorb (or otherwise alter) the light
passing through it; used to enhance
color or contrast, remove reflections
reduce haze, soften focus, or
produce a variety of special effects
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Camera grip- a device used
to hold the camera firmly so
as to prevent vibration or
movement

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Lens hood- a plastic, metal, or rubber
device that attaches to the front of a
lens to shield it from extraneous light
and eliminate reflection that might
destroy the image cast by objects
especially when the light is coming
from the camera; also offers added
physical protection against accidental
blows; also called sun shade or lens
shade 53
Basic Crime Scene and Evidence Photography Kit
In crime scene and Evidence Photographers Guide, Robert C. Staggs
(2005) recommends the following equipment and accessories to be used
by forensic photographer.
1. Camera
2. Normal lens(a 50 mm lens is considered a normal lens for a 35mm
camera)
3. Wide angle lens (28mm or similar for a 35mm camera)
4. Close-up lenses or accessories (e.g., macro lens, 1:1 adapter, extension
tubes, bellows, reversing ring, or close-up filters)
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5. Filters (red, orange, yellow, blue, and green)
6. Electronic flash
7. Remote sync cord for electronic flash (to operate flash
when not mounted on camera)
8. Extra camera and flash batteries
9. Locking cable release
10.Tripod

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11. Film (color and black and white film
12. Owner’s manual for camera and
flash
13. Notebook and pen
14. Scales
15. ABFO #2 scale (injury photography0
16. Gray card (to aid in getting accurate
exposures)
17. Index cards and felt pen
18. Flashlight

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 Other equipment that should be considered
1. Telephoto lenses (135mm, telephoto zoom lens for surveillance
photography)
2. Supplementary light meter for low light level readings
3. Small tools for emergency camera repairs
4. Block of wood, clothespins, and other devices for positioning evidence
for close-up photography
5. White handkerchief or other flash diffusion material
6. Levels
7. Tape measure
8. Color chart or color control patches (injury photography)
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 Proper Handling of the Camera

Camera motion can be caused by lack of sharpness.

There are two prime causes of camera motion.
1.Vibration- usually caused by body movement
including the beating of the heart
2.Actual camera movement- caused by the improper
holding of the camera

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 How to Hold a Camera
Camera motion can result in blurry images. To prevent this it is important
to hold the camera properly by considering the following
1. Hold the camera with the right hand and place the index finger under the
shutter release. The thumb should be under the film advance lever and
the remaining three fingers against the front of the camera.
2. The heel of the camera must lie on the palm of the left hand.
3. The photographer’s arm should be resting against the body with legs far
enough apart to be a be steady base. When taking a photograph in a
kneeling position, do not rest the elbow on the knees as the bone-to-
bone contact is unsteady and will be reflected in the photograph.
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 Care and Handling of the Camera and Film
The photographer should take care of the camera between uses by keeping it
out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources. The camera should never
be exposed to direct sunlight or to heat inside glove compartments or trunks
of vehicles during hot weather. The photographer should also keep the film in
an insulated chest or wrapped in a white reflective cloth. Exposed film should
be maintained in a refrigerator or processed immediately. In cold water, the
camera should be protected by keeping it under your jacket as the film may
become brittle and tear or break. Salt water may also damage the camera and
film so make sure the camera is fully protected. Negatives should be placed
in a plastic sleeve to avoid scratches. 60
 How to hold a camera

Vertical
position

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 Horizontal
position

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Standing position

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 Kneeling position

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 Prone position

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 quiz

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TO BE CONTINUE

NEXT MEETING

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THANK YOU!
MARLON CAINONG

Phone
09956326738
Email
marloncainong1925@gmail.com