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Scientific & Technical Review 

Panel Final Report for 

2021-S-0027

Standard Guide for 

Laboratory Photography

Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science
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STRP Final Report

2021-S-0027

Standard Guide for Laboratory 

Photography

Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensics Science

February 25, 2022

Disclaimer:

This report was produced by an independent Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP). The 

views expressed in the report do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. 

Government. Visit the OSAC website for more information on OSAC’s STRP process.

Scientific & Technical Review Panel Members

• Barbara Andree, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (Retired)

• Michelle Montonera, Boulder County Coroner’s Office

• Robert Thompson, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

• Raymond Valerio, Office of the Queens County District Attorney

• David "Ski" Witzke, Forensic Digital Imaging & Analysis (Retired)
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Report Summary:

The Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) for “Standard Guide for Laboratory 

Photography” is an independent panel appointed by the National Institute of Standards and 

Technology (NIST). A STRP is established with a range of experts to consider how well a 

standard meets the needs of the forensic science, law enforcement, and legal communities, and to 

recommend improvements to the standards under review. The STRP appreciates the efforts of 

Aaron Matson and Rand Swartz, Video/Imaging Technology and Analysis (VITAL) 

Subcommittee members, while serving as the subcommittee liaisons to this STRP during the 

review process. 

The STRP began its review process with a kickoff meeting on October 4, 2021 and concluded 

with this STRP final report. The panel reviewed the draft standard and prepared comments for 

the Video/Imaging Technology and Analysis Subcommittee. 

Report Components:

The STRP reviewed this draft standard against OSAC’s STRP Instructions for Review which 

include the following content areas: scientific and technical merit, human factors, quality 

assurance, scope and purpose, terminology, method description and reporting results. The details 

below contain a brief description of each reviewed content area and the STRP’s assessment of 

how that content was addressed in the Draft OSAC Proposed Standard. 

1. Scientific and Technical Merit: OSAC-approved standards must have strong scientific 

foundations so that the methods practitioners employ are scientifically valid, and the 

resulting claims are trustworthy. In addition, standards for methods or interpretation of 

results must include the expression and communication of the uncertainties in measurements 

or other results.

1.1 Consensus View – The STRP believe this standard provides information essential for 

the effective (accurate and reliable) photographic capture/preservation of physical 

evidence in a laboratory or other controlled environment. This standard also contains 

several recommendations for lighting as well as other considerations/guidance on 

camera settings for proper photographic techniques. Moreover, this information is 

relevant regardless of the size of laboratory. 

1.2 Consensus View – The STRP also believes this standard is well organized and well 

written.

1.3 Minority View – None 

2. Human Factors: All forensic science methods rely on human performance in acquiring, 

examining, reporting, and testifying to the results. In the examination phase, some standards 
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rely heavily on human judgment, whereas others rely more on properly maintained and 

calibrated instruments and statistical analysis of data.

2.1. Consensus View – The STRP believes that this draft adequately addresses issues 

related to human factors and performance. To the extent that the guide addresses 

the human interaction of photographic methods toward evidence documentation, 

the standard recognizes the relevance of experience, and training, for the 

photographic documentation of evidence in the laboratory and other controlled 

environments. The standard includes numerous informative diagrams that 

illustrate the application of certain special illumination techniques to aid in the 

understanding of critical concepts involved in photographic evidence 

documentation.

2.2. Minority View – None

3. Quality Assurance: Quality assurance covers a broad range of topics. For example, a 

method must include quality assurance procedures to ensure that sufficiently similar results 

will be obtained when the methodology is properly followed by different users in different 

facilities. 

3.1. Consensus View – The STRP believes that quality assurance topics are properly 

covered in this draft standard. Evidence handling with contamination 

prevention, recommended photographic equipment and techniques, applicable 

safety measures, and retention and storage of photographs are all discussed 

throughout the document. Additional information concerning proper 

documentation and photographic requirements for specialty laboratory 

visualization techniques is also included.

3.2. Minority View – None

4. Scope and Purpose: Standards should have a short statement of their scope and purpose. 

They should list the topics that they address and the related topics that they do not address. 

Requirements, recommendations, or statements of what is permitted or prohibited do not 

belong in this section.

4.1. Consensus View – Section 4. Significance and Use elaborates on the use of 

photography in the laboratory (i.e., creating a permanent record of the items of 

evidence, any developed evidence, or digital enhancement of the items of 

evidence (such as latent fingerprints, footwear impressions, toolmarks, firearms, 

questions documents, etc.). The STRP believes this delineation would also be 

appropriate in section 1. Scope and Purpose. 

4.2. Consensus View – In addition, the Scope and Purpose does not address (either 

by reference or by exclusion) any other standard that focuses on photography of 

other types of evidence such as bruises, bite marks, etc. These standards 

include, but are not limited to, the “Standard Guide for Post Mortem 
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Examination Photography”, etc. 

4.3. Consensus View – In contrast, Scope and Purpose, subparagraph 1.2 specifically 

states that it excludes techniques for special equipment for documenting 

laboratory analysis of questioned documents, firearms, fire debris, etc.

4.4. Minority View – None

5. Terminology: Standards should define terms that have specialized meanings. Only rarely 

should they give a highly restricted or specialized meaning to a term in common use among 

the general public.

5.1. Consensus View – The STRP finds that the draft standard defines appropriate 

terms with specialized meaning consistent with ASTM E2916 Standard 

Terminology for Digital and Multimedia Evidence Examination. STRP revisions 

to narrow the scope of the draft standard helped clarify relevant terms. The 

document balances the need for definitions while avoiding defining commonly 

used terminology. Examples are appropriately added to various terminology 

such as in Section 4.1.

5.2. Minority View – None

6. Method Description: There is no rule as to the necessary level of detail in the description of 

the method. Some parts of the method may be performed in alternative ways without 

affecting the quality and consistency of the results. Standards should focus on standardizing 

steps that must be performed consistently across organizations to ensure equivalent results. 

Alternatively, standards can define specific performance criteria that are required to be 

demonstrated and met rather than specifying the exact way a task must be done. For example, 

it may be enough to specify the lower limit for detecting a substance without specifying the 

equipment or method for achieving this limit of detection.

6.1. Consensus View – The STRP considers that the proposed standard meets the 

Method Description requirement. This opinion is based on the fact that the 

standard provides an outline for recommended equipment and steps for taking 

appropriate documentation photographs with guidance on settings for 

examination quality photographs and special techniques. The STRP verified that 

the standard minimizes ambiguity by providing examples of lighting techniques 

that would be used in taking the photographs.

6.2. Minority View – None

7. Reporting Results: Methods must not only be well described, scientifically sound, and 

comprehensive but also lead to reported results that are within the scope of the standard, 

appropriately caveated, and not overreaching.
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7.1. Consensus View – The STRP believes that the standard adequately describes 

how evidence should be handled and photographed within the laboratory setting. 

Clear instruction is provided for documentation photography and associated 

special photography techniques.

7.2. Minority View – None