Image Forensics
The science of photography is as absolute as any other science, providing an extremely useful tool in a wide range of scientific and industrial applications. It is also a tool all too often misused.
Most of us understand photography in the wider context of commercial and artistic endeavour, photojournalism or images of friends and family. However the general familiarity that society has with the photographic image means that often, when an image is put forward as evidence, much is taken as read that should actually be questioned.
Frequently a line of argument hinges on a specific photograph, but often when that image, or method of image capture, is critically examined the evidential premise is seen to be flawed.
We are well placed to provide significant support to any litigious matter involving photographic images ~
33 + years experience in professional photography and evidential imaging, including 22 years service as a forensic photographer with the London Metropolitan Police.
Services include
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Consultant assessment relating to workflow and continuity of photographic evidence.
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Expert witness, qualified evidence photography and digital imaging services for solicitors reports, defence investigations, personal injury and criminal compensation claims.
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Industrial accidents and insurance claims.
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Photo interpretation, analysis and visual geometry studies
Court presentations
Photographic material can be produced in accordance with the rules of perspective for displaying images. Crucial when considering identification, viewpoints and other distance related matters.
Security
Our very own inhouse digital imaging facility eliminates the problems usually associated with outsourcing to commercial labs.
All material handled in confidence.
Clayton Utz law firm, Alcoa Australia, WA Police Service, Malcom McCusker QC, Lawton Lawyers, Peter A. Brindal & Co. solicitors
from the archives
PHOTOGRAPHY, DIGITAL IMAGE FILES AND METADATA INTEGRITY
Photographic evidence, like any other evidence, should be scrutinised and robust enough to withstand challenge in a Court.
As the bulk of contemporary image making is now digital based, whether it be a consumer point and shoot, a professional DSLR or a grab from a sequence of CCTV video all producing digital image data files, then a number of issues arise.
Digital images can and are being manipulated everyday for a multitude of reasons.
The magazine industry routinely uses Photoshop to crop and retouch images meaning that an already subjective photograph becomes an artifically constructed reality to the eye of the viewer.
We do it ourselves, as a professional photography business we routinely use image editing applications and so are very aware of what can be achieved and the techniques involved. All our images are corrected for colour, contrast and density, product shots are often cut out from backgrounds, the Code Ice studio makes image adjustments / manipulations on client instructions when producing custom prints.
IMAGE PERSPECTIVE AND PERCEPTION
Image perspective refers to the size and spatial relationship between objects within an image and the position of the eye/camera viewing the scene.
When looking at a photographic image viewer perception of perspective is affected by viewing distance.
