banner ad
Experts Logo

articles

Imaging Forensics: Is Your Expert An Expert?

By: George Reis
Tel: (714) 775-3120
Email Mr. Reis
Website: www.imagingforensics.com.


On a recent case opposing counsel hired a forensic photographer. The case involved an accident at night in which visibility was a key factor. The role of the forensic photographer in a case like this is to photograph the area to visually show what a person could see in such an environment. This may involve checking weather conditions, visibility conditions, lighting conditions, and getting information about the exact location of the incident, etc. Of course, it also involves a thorough understanding of how to accurately reproduce the scene photographically.

In this case, the opposing "expert" photographed the wrong area and used the wrong equipment. In his deposition, he was asked about the lighting, and his response included, "Again, this is out of my kind of area. I'm there to push the button."

He was asked later in the deposition about his role as a forensic photographer, to which he stated, "...I think of it as kind of a movie set. Okay. We have a producer...director...and a cameraman, me." This photographer obviously doesn't think of himself as an expert, but as just the person to, "...push the button."

When I visited the same scene, I checked the weather conditions, moon phase and position, and lighting conditions. I referred to photographs taken the night of the accident and the following day for orientation. And, I read depositions of witnesses. I used the proper equipment, took light readings, and made thorough notes about my observations. When I made prints, I used a calibrated monitor and printer, and valid methods for reproducing the proper tonal values in the prints. I was able to explain when I was deposed how I knew what to photograph, when to photograph the area, what equipment was proper to use, and how I know that my prints represented the scene as it was the night I took the photographs.

Next time you need a forensic photographer, be sure to get an expert, rather than the "cameraman" who is just there to "push the button."

Related articles

expert_placeholder

3/21/2012· Forensics

Imaging Forensics: When to hire an expert

By: George Reis

I was recently retained on a civil case just a month before the trial date. When called about the case, I was told that the firm never thought of hiring a forensic photographer until one showed up in opposing counsel’s expert list. In this case, I needed to photograph the scene of an accident to depict what could be seen from a specific perspective, at a specific time of day, under specific lighting conditions.

George-schiro-forensic-science-expert-photo.jpg

3/30/2010· Forensics

Administrative Policies Dealing with Crime Scene Operations

By: George Schiro, MS, F-ABC

One specialized operation that is routinely abused is the crime scene operation. From small police departments to large law enforcement agencies, the biggest problem with crime scene operations is the presence and interference of non-essential personnel at the scene. The law enforcement agency’s administration should deal with this and other crime scene investigation problems through effective crime scene management.

expert_placeholder

11/20/2012· Forensics

The Legal Strategy of Computer Forensics

By: Tino Kyprianou

As technology advances by leaps and bounds, digital devices are now an integral part of our lives. Every day we use cell phones, laptops, iPads, iPods, GPS systems -- the list is endless.

;
Experts.com-No broker Movie Ad

Follow us

linkedin logo youtube logo rss feed logo
;