Crash Photography with Nighttime Photo Techniques
Crash Photography (with
Nighttime Photo Techniques)
by Jan Bobe, Ulrich Fasse and Larry Fasnacht
Did you know that a good tripod is the most important
camera accessory for a crash photographer? If not, then perhaps IPTM's newest
publication, Crash Photography (with Nighttime Photo Techniques) can help solve
other problems you may have experienced when taking pictures in less than ideal
conditions.
A collaboration by three authors who have extensive
knowledge in crash reconstruction and photography, this booklet begins with a
brief overview of the basics of photography. From there, they discuss shutter
times, apertures and f-stops for both daytime and nighttime photography. The
issue of camera positioning is addressed and actual photos are used as examples
to show you not only what to do, but also what not to do when taking pictures.
The authors recommend options that you may use to overcome
adverse lighting conditions. They discuss the different types of light and how
artificial lights in various locations can improve the quality of a photo. They
also offer ways to avoid both backlights and stray lights on wet roads and
suggest rules for photographing scenes in snowy, rainy and foggy conditions to
get good results.
A section of the booklet is devoted to various problems
with modern cameras. The authors point out which features will and will not work
in crash photography situations and make recommendations as to which features
are absolutely essential when purchasing a camera for dead photography.
Crash Photography (with Nighttime Photo Techniques) is
divided into the following sections:
- Basic Thoughts on Crash Photography
- How a Photo is Made: The Secret of the Black Box
- Doing a Crash Photo
- Camera Position
- Night Photography
- Disruptive Factors
- Modern Electronic SLR Camera
- Final Remarks
About the authors:
Jan Bobe holds the position of Polizeihauptkommissar in
the Gütersloh (Germany) Police. He has served over 20 years in law enforcement,
taking a keen interest in traffic crash investigation and reconstruction and in
making the work of the responding officers easier and more effective.
Ulrich Fasse holds the position of Polizeikommissar and is
the training officer for photography, photo and video documentation, traffic
crash investigation and photogrammetry at the Erich Klausner Police Training
Institute in Stukenbrock.
Larry Fasnacht has been in law enforcement since 1978 and
is currently a police officer and traffic crash reconstructionist with the
Papillion Police Department in Nebraska. He has experimented with long shutter
times and simple but effective photographic techniques suitable for use by a
patrol car officer.
Specifications: 19 pages, 8½”x11”, saddle stitched,
38 photos; Publisher: IPTM (January 2002)
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