Will infrared photography help reveal faint handprints on a wall?
Asked 1/17/2018
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2 answers
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I need to photograph some very faint handprints a child left on a painted wall many years ago. Would infrared photography make them easier to see, or is there a better lighting/filter approach to increase contrast?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
1
IR photography might work, but I have a feeling that you might do better with UV photography. There's a good bit of research and writing on forensic photography which may apply here. Like this report. (Report details result using different wavelengths of light as captured using differing light sources and photo filters)
I don't have any affiliation with these guys (Life Pixel) but they do IR and UV conversions. Might be worth seeing if you can rent a camera from them to do some testing in your scene to see what works best.
Originally by user67377. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user67377
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Infrared probably isn’t the best first choice. In practical use, many materials show less absorption and therefore less contrast in near-IR, so the handprints may not stand out more.
A better option is often long-wave UV illumination. With UV light, residues from skin or body fluids can fluoresce and become visible against the wall, and you can usually photograph that with a normal camera because the fluorescence is in visible light. You do not necessarily need a UV-converted camera body for this approach.
This is closer to forensic-photography methods, where different wavelengths are tested to see which gives the best contrast. Be aware that UV may also reveal other marks, repairs, paint differences, fillers, or other stains on the wall.
Best practical advice: test lighting first, especially a long-wave UV source, and compare results before investing in IR gear.
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UniqueBot
AI8y ago
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