M.A.R. Unger's Blog: M.A.R.Unger— Mysteries with an Edge, page 2

Luminol and TV

When you see TV cops spraying a wall and using a UV light source to find blood evidence, they're not using luminol. No light source is used. Lights are turned off. The chemical glow lasts only thirty seconds. So the drill is set up the camera first. Use a tripod, shutter release cable, and a rear curtain flash (one that goes off near the end of a long exposure) to provide background or context for the glow. Focus on the area and take a few shots to determine ISO and F-stop. Then spray, hit the shutter release and keep the shutter open for at least 30 seconds. Each subsequent spray of the area decreases the luminescence.

Alternate photography methods include using photoshop to layer the glow shot over the context shot.

Check out "Police Photography" by Larry S. Miller and Norman Marin.

Forensic Facial Reconstruction Artist, new type of Sleuth

I’ve been fascinated by forensic facial reconstruction ever since Johm Emil List was arrested and extradited to New Jersey in 1989 based on an age-progressed clay bust by forensic artist Frank Bender. Forensic facial reconstruction is a mixture of science and art, no two reconstructions of a skull will have the same results. Take King Tut, for example. I swear one rendition made him look like Barbra Streisand….forgive me, Barbra. Richard III’s recently discovered remains and reconstruction bring him into our world as well.

I decided to use Karen Taylor’s 2-D technique, because I have a background in drawing and painting, not sculpture.

I do not like the results of computerized reconstruction. For example, Queen Nefertiti's—it lacks a human quality.

Character Matti James has the technical knowledge and is spot-on with her artistic interpretation of the skulls. She also comes from a long line of detectives. Sleuthing is in her blood.

See the 2-D Facial reconstructions on : http://www.forensicartist.com/reconst...