The magazine dedicated exclusively to the technology of evidence collection, processing, and preservation
Volume 4, Number 2 • March-April 2006


Education and Training


SOME OF THE TOPICS IN THIS ISSUE 

¦ Learning the business of forensic science 
¦ Basics of nighttime crime-scene photography 
¦ Interview with Max M. Houck, chairman of FEPAC 
¦ Online calendar of education and training events 

CRIME-SCENE PHOTOGRAPHY 
SHOOTING AT NIGHT 
CRIME-SCENE PHOTOGRAPHYSHOOTING AT NIGHT
PHOTOGRAPHY AT NIGHT 

can be much more challenging 

than daytime photography. In the 
end, however, getting good results with 
nighttime photography can also be more 
rewarding. But in order to reap these 
rewards, the photographer needs to 
understand that nighttime crime scenes 
bring with them a number of special 
circumstances and conditions. These 
require a unique set of approaches, 
techniques, and equipment. 

The photo examples on this and the 
facing page are from motor-vehicle 
accident scenes. A discussion of each 
scene is included in the next few paragraphs. Later in the article, there will 
be a brief explanation of the proper 
procedures and equipment needed for 
nighttime photography. 

Example #1:
Motorcycle down


The first four photographs (above) 
were taken to document a motorcycle 

Written by Michael Kelly 

accident. In the medium-range shot, 
you can see the effect of different colors in the illumination in the background (white, yellow, orange, red, and 
green); these contrast with the fill-in 
flash, which helps to create a three-
dimensional effect. The different angle 
in the second photograph reveals the 
skid marks created by the motorcycle. 
The last two close-up photographs show 
that illumination from all angles with 
some fill-in flash helps to create a 
three-dimensional effect. 

Example #2:
Corvette suicide


The burnt-out Corvette was the scene 
of a suicide. Portable lights were used 
to provide additional rear and side 
lighting and helped to illuminate the 
overall scene. These lights created a 
yellow cast over the scene. Fill-in 
flash was used to help balance out the 
yellow color as well as to provide 
sharper illumination of the foreground. 

Example #3:
Saturn vs. tree


The Saturn-collision photograph shows 
that strong backlighting from the patrol 
cars’ emergency lights helped to prevent 
the background from appearing too 
dark. A strong fill-in flash is required 
with this kind of scene to create foreground illumination. It is also important 
to note that darker vehicles are more 
difficult to photograph at night than 
light-colored vehicles. Bracketing the 
exposure is essential when photographing dark vehicles. 

Example #4:
Jeep in a canal


The Jeep was found in a dark canal with 
no nearby streetlights. The spotlights 
on patrol cars were used to illuminate 
the background. The white streak at the 
top is the result of headlights passing 
through the scene while it was being 
photographed on the bulb setting. Fill-in 
flash was essential to illuminate the 

Evidence Technology Magazine • March-April 2006 
www.EvidenceMagazine.com 


NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY


foreground and to prevent the yellow 
light of the spotlights from dominating 
the photograph. 

Example #5:
SUV rollover



Corvette suicide—Detail

Photographs of this SUV rollover show 

would surely have been lost

the contrast of different colors created 

in the middle-of-the-night

by different light sources in the back-

photograph of this burned

ground. The streetlights are yellow and 

automobile. But the appli

orange and the lights from the hospital 

cation of proper lighting on

(located behind the SUV) are green. 

all sides make it easy to see 

The fill-in flash helps to illuminate the 

what was left of the Corvette 

after the driver deliberately 

foreground and prevents the yellow-

wrecked it.

green light from dominating the scene. 

Careful exposure-meter readings must 
be taken to correctly calculate the 
needed aperture and exposure time. 

A brief discussion
of the essential equipment


Nighttime photography requires basic 
camera equipment that has been around 


Saturn vs tree—In this 
case, the photographer used

for decades. Each piece of equipment is 

the patrol cars’ emergency

described below. In this article, I refer 

lights to help illuminate the

mainly to 35mm film cameras because 

scene and bring out detail

film has greater exposure latitude than 

in the automobile. A strong

digital and I prefer to bracket (taking 

fill-in flash was also needed 

more than one photo of the same scene 

to balance the patrol cars’

with different exposure times). In my 

back-lighting. 

opinion, the necessary equipment will 
include the following: 

. Camera: I recommend a 35mm 
Jeep in canal—After being 
pulled from a Florida canal, 
this Jeep presented a prob

camera with or without autofocus. If 

the camera is equipped with autofocus, 

lem as far as photography

switch it off and focus manually. A 

was concerned: there was a

bulb setting is also useful; most of the 

lack of ambient lighting. So

professional and “semi-pro” cameras 

the photographer asked for

have this shutter setting. 

help from the officers at the 

. Tripod: The tripod must be sturdy 
scene. They aimed the 

and feature a ball-and-socket head. A 

spotlights of their patrol 

cars on the background

quick-release feature is handy, especially 

while the photographer used 
his own light sources on 

when you have to attach the camera to 

the ball head in the dark. I always keep 

the foreground.

a flashlight attached to my belt rig to 
help illuminate camera settings. The 
flashlight also assists me in focusing 
onto objects. I personally have used 
Manfrotto tripods for 27 years. This 
Italian company makes great legs and 
all the spare parts are readily available. 


SUV rollover—Documenting this roll-over accident 

. Light meter: A handheld light 
meter is essential for taking exposure 

was a problem because of

readings from different areas. I never 

the different colors of light

rely on the camera’s meter reading. 

in the background. But the

Using a handheld meter enables you 

use of a fill-in flash helped

to walk all the way around the subject 

to illuminate the foreground

area and take readings to determine 

and neutralize the strong 

colors in the background.

the proper exposure level. I have used 

Evidence Technology Magazine • March-April 2006 
www.EvidenceMagazine.com 


NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY


Sekonic and Minolta handheld meters 
for years without any problems. 
.Cable release: Nighttime photo-
graphy almost always requires long 
exposures of a second or more—which 
means that any contact with the camera 
will cause the image to blur. Therefore, 
a cable release is essential so you can 
release the shutter without making 
direct contact with the camera or the 
tripod. I generally stand at arm’s length 
from the camera. 
.Flash: A flash device will help 
illuminate the foreground and the subject 
matter. Always keep in mind that the 
flash should not be used as the primary 
light source, but only as secondary light 
source. If you use the flash as the main 
source of illumination, it will illuminate 
only the foreground; the background 
will remain dark and in shadow. Proper 
use of the flash is important. I recom-
mend using a good flash that has an 
external battery supply. Additionally, 
the flash head must be able to tilt. I 
have used Metz and Norman flash heads 
and have found them to be reliable. 
Notes about 
the correct exposure 
Meter readings with a hand-held meter 
should be taken from the brightest area 
of the subject as well as the darkest 
area of the subject. You should then set 
the exposure in the middle of those two 
readings. For example, if the brightest 
area is f/11 at 2 seconds and the darkest 
area is f/5.6 at 2 seconds, use f/8 at 2 
seconds. In most situations, it is best 
to start with a shutter speed of about 2 
seconds with a mid-range aperture of 
f/5.6 or f/8. Make sure that you use a 
tripod and a cable release to avoid 
making contact with the camera and 
shaking it during exposure. 
Notes about 
the film sensitivity 
Any type of color-negative film may 
be used: 100 ISO, 200 ISO, or 400 ISO 
film. However, 400 ISO film is recom-
mended because the short exposure time 
required by that film helps to eliminate 
camera shake that can occur even when 
the camera is mounted on a tripod. 
Notes about 
Reciprocity Law Failure 
The term Reciprocity Law Failure refers 
to the loss in the exposure sensitivity of 
the film. For example, if a film rated 
at 100 ISO was exposed for 2 seconds, 
its film-speed rating could fall to 50 
ISO. The resulting image would then 
be underexposed. Therefore, exposure 
bracketing is essential to achieve the 
correct exposure. I increase the expo-
sure when bracketing to correct any 
loss in the film’s sensitivity. The color 
sensitivity can also be affected by long 
exposures. Color film does not “see” 
color the same way our eyes see color. 
The human eye is much more versatile 
and more adaptable than film. Color 
film is measured in degrees Kelvin 
and is normally rated at 5500 degrees 
Kelvin. This means that the film is 
balanced for blue (white) light and if 
the light is not blue (white) it will 
reproduce the color different from what 
the human eye sees. A good example 
can be seen in the florescent light tubes 
used in offices. The human eye sees 
the color as white, but the film repro-
duces the color as green! When taking 
Evidence Technology Magazine • March-April 2006 
www.EvidenceMagazine.com 


NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY


passing seconds out loud while holding 
it down. If you prefer, you can count 
the seconds on a watch or you can use 
the camera’s shutter control if it has a 
seconds selection. . 

About the Author 
Michael Kelly is a Crime Scene Technician with the Miramar (Florida) Police 
Department. If you would like to send 
him a message, use this address: 

E-mail: mjkelly@ci.miramar.fl.us 


Evidence Technology Magazine • March-April 2006 
www.EvidenceMagazine.com 

photographs, these colors will sometimes dominate the scene. For example, 
if the street is illuminated only with 
overhead streetlights, the dominant 
color will be yellow-orange. In order 
to compensate, we can mix the streetlights with the light from the flash, 
which is a blue (white) light; the colors 
can then be corrected when printing 
the photos. The yellow-orange light will 
be in the background, but the foreground will appear to be a normal color 
due to the illumination from the flash. 
This color contrast will create a three-
dimensional effect. 

Notes about 
exposure bracketing 

For nighttime photography, it is best 
to take two or three photographs of the 
same scene at different exposures to 
compensate for Reciprocity Law Failure. 
If the meter indicates an exposure of 2 
seconds, expose the first photograph at 
2 seconds; then take another photograph at 4 seconds without moving or 
re-focusing the camera; and then take 
a final exposure at 6 seconds. It is very 
important not to move or touch the 
camera while exposing the film. 

Notes about
using a flash device


Remember: The flash is a fill-in light 
only! I keep the flash setting on the 
automatic setting on most flashguns. 
This automatic setting allows you to 
select an output aperture. Select f/5.6 
or f/8. Then select the camera aperture 
one f-stop above this flash setting. For 
example, if the lens is set at f/8 and the 
shutter speed is 4 seconds, the flash 
should be set on f/5.6 on the auto setting. This helps to prevent too much 
blue (white) light in the foreground. 
Most people are aware of the bleached-
out or white-ghost effect that is visible 
if too much flash is used in the foreground. Only a slight tilt angle is 
required and I recommend that you 
experiment with the flashgun before 
taking important crime-scene photos. 

Notes about
taking the photographs


At the scene, first make sure that the 
camera is loaded and attached to the 
tripod, with the flash and cable release 
connected. Then, take exposure-meter 
readings of the scene and calculate the 
exposures to be bracketed. Next, place 

the tripod in position and focus the 
camera, keeping the autofocus setting 
on manual. The flashlight can be used to 
assist you with obtaining sharp focus, 
but remember to switch off the flashlight before taking the photograph. 
The flashgun must be set one aperture 
below the camera f-stop and should be 
tilted upwards at a slight angle. When 
everything is in position, shoot the first 
exposure with the camera set on bulb.I 
press the cable release and count the