Forensic Photography Symposium 2025
This excellent event is now in its fourth year. Each year seems to get better than the previous one. The Forensic Photography Symposium (FSP) is a four day on-line event with multiple instructors that cover topics from bloodstain photography and crime scene lighting to surveillance photography and image enhancement. This...
Continue ReadingTwo Presentations at the IAI Conference
I will be making two presentations at the IAI Conference in Reno, NV this year. One presentation will be on Gait Analysis that I will be co-presenting with Dr. Michael Nirenburg. The other will be on “Going Private” – making the transition from working for a public agency to starting...
Continue ReadingDeveloping Rules of Thumb in Video and Photographic Analysis
A common request for those of us who work in video analysis (whether privately or for a law enforcement or government agency) is to enhance a license plate or compare the person (face, article of clothing, etc.) in a video to a photograph of a person. When is there...
Continue ReadingFrye Hearing
Last month I testified in a Frye Hearing in Los Angeles. The Office of the District Attorney retained me to challenge a defense expert in a case that involved both Forensic Video Analysis and Photographic/Video Comparison. That ‘expert’ has testified 25 times in the past, but has had no training...
Continue ReadingLEVA’s FVA Certification Process
I received my Forensic Video Analyst Certification from LEVA at their annual conference last week. A few weeks ago I posted a survey about certifications in FVA and Photography. The responses to that survey showed quite a number of misconceptions. And, since LEVA’s process is fresh in my mind,...
Continue ReadingLEVA Level 3 Training
I just got home from taking the LEVA (Law Enforcement and Emergency Services Video Association) Level 3 Course at the University of Indianapolis. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve taken a class through LEVA and this class reminded me of how great their training is! I have previously...
Continue ReadingCountering Bad Science
When attorneys get a copy of opposing counsel’s expert reports, sometimes they are quite surprised by what they read – it’s just bad science. And, in these cases they will then retain their own expert to counter, and possibly quash, the other experts opinion. I’ve been retained in numerous...
Continue Reading“I need to tell others about you!”
I met with an investigator on a case last week to discuss her need for Forensic Video Analysis in a homicide case. During out meeting, she asked about the other work I do in photographic analysis and photography services. When I finished, she asked me for a handful of...
Continue ReadingExpert Credentials
One of the first things that I get asked for when an attorney calls is a copy of my CV. An expert’s CV can tell you a lot, but when looking at a forensic photographer, photographic analyst, or video analyst, how should it be evaluated to make sure that...
Continue ReadingIn Photography and Video – We Want the Original Images
It always surprises me how often retaining attorneys send me digital copies of scanned color laser prints of photos in PDF format, or transcoded video files to do an analysis. Sometimes these images resemble their originals – sometimes they are a far cry from them. To do the best enhancement,...
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