Forensic Photography Techniques for Examining Skeletal Remains

Based on thirty years of the author’s expertise in the field of forensic photography, this book offers invaluable skills to successfully take good-quality photographs.

This book addresses the reality that forensic photographers often work with varying levels of equipment quality—from professional cameras to basic personal devices—yet must produce consistently high-quality, legally admissible evidence. Across eighteen chapters, Alain Wittmann demonstrates techniques to produce a composition that is both high quality and fulfils the purpose of drawing attention to the subject matter as the primary focal point. Whether you are working with minimal material or even a complex case, this manual emphasizes fundamental photography principles including proper exposure, framing, and preparation techniques that can produce clear, unambiguous images without requiring expensive equipment or post-processing software. The book also includes a Quiz, Useful Resources, and a Glossary of key phrases used within the field so that you can better engage with the material and test your knowledge.

Forensic Photography Techniques for Examining Skeletal Remains will be valuable to forensic photographers, medical professionals, and anyone working with human remains who needs to create accurate photographic documentation that can withstand legal scrutiny and effectively communicate findings to courts and investigators.

Alain Wittmann is a professional forensic photographer with over 28 years of experience. Before he became an international consultant, he worked for the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) at the Office of Missing Persons and Forensics (OMPF), and the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) at the Department of Forensic Medicine (DFM).

Over the course of his career, he has participated in international forensic investigation teams that have conducted exhumations, crime scenes, autopsies, forensic examinations, and identifications in over 15 countries.

In Peru, he collaborated with the Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF), the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CVR), the National Criminal Court, the Human Rights Association, the Prosecutor’s Office, and the Inter-American Court.

His images have featured in several forensic and anthropology books.