Photography: The Invention Of Forensic Photography

The invention of photography has, and continues to play a vital role in the field of forensic sciences. Earlier when photography was invented, it was mostly known for its artistic use. Throughout the years however, it also became one of the most powerful tools for the police. What makes photographs so useful is the fact that they are able to provide an accurate interpretation of people and events that cannot be altered. Prior to the year 1854 when the camera was first used in forensics, science was used to identify crime scenes. Fingerprinting for example, was already a known and successful method. But these were time consuming and unreliable. Crime scenes were investigated by the pieces that were left behind in the scene and by information …show more content…
Crime scene photography includes any crime against property or people including homicides, suicides, theft, traffic collisions among others. Back in the days before the invention of the camera, detectives used to sketch the scene of the crime. Additionally, people used to rely on the information victims and investigators would recall to have seen in the crime scene. This methodology was unreliable for various reasons. Detectives and investigators as well as victims may have different interpretation of things to be; therefore they usually ended up with different sketches and contradictory information. Photographs provide an exact visual of what occurred without anything being altered. This becomes extremely helpful given that most evidence is transitory. Eventually bodies must be taken to be examined and the places where the crime occurred (homes, businesses, or streets) will have to return to their normal state. Having to go back to the crime scene is time consuming but when having a photograph of the exact scene investigators are able to refer back to them whenever they want in order to better understand what …show more content…
In contrast to the first cameras that were expensive, heavy and space consuming, the Kodak camera was cheap, lightweight and easy to use. Inventor George Eastman, provided people that had no photographic experience with the opportunity to acquire a camera for their own use. This Kodak camera provided the foundation of present digital cameras and film. This invention has and still provides at times investigators with critical and useful information for justice. In 1991, a bystander filmed 5 policemen in Los Angeles beating a black man named Rodney G. King after he was arrested for speeding. The tape was shown on television and it was found that it contradicted the version of the policemen on the arrest (Goldberg, 1991, pg. 66). Every individual that is present experiences the event from a different perspective. If ordinary individuals have the tools available, they can provide the police with a different side of the story that may have been unnoticed to help clarify and justify what truly