Photographic log
Definition
A written record, kept on site alongside the context records, that logs each photograph with its file name, date, time, photographer, subject description, view direction, scale used, and any special conditions. It links the digital image archive to the context recording system.
- Applies to
- Excavations, site documentation, and forensic clinical examinations
- Key elements
- File name/frame number, date, time, photographer identity, subject, view direction, scale, conditions
- Purpose
- Links digital image archive to context records and establishes chain of custody
Common questions
What information goes into a photographic log?+
A photographic log records the file name or frame number, date, time, photographer/examiner, and what the photo depicts. It also notes the direction of view, scale bar placement, anatomical location (in clinical exams), and any special conditions during capture. The log acts as a written reference that links each digital image to the context it documents.
Why is a photographic log important as evidence?+
The log establishes the chain of custody for image evidence by documenting who took each photo, when, and under what conditions. This written record corroborates the digital files and proves they capture the correct scene or subject in the correct location. During cross-examination, the log provides contemporaneous proof that the images are what they claim to be.
How does a photographic log connect to the broader record?+
The log cross-references photographs to the site context (excavation layer, feature, or location) or clinical context (anatomical detail, examination stage). It ties each image to context records, field notes, and the overall investigation timeline, ensuring nothing is orphaned or misidentified later.
Related terms
- Scale bar
- A physical ruler or L-shaped measuring device placed in the field of view before a photograph is taken. It provides a known...
- Colour checker
- A calibrated chart of known colour patches (typically the Macbeth ColorChecker or equivalent) photographed in the same light as the scene, used...
- Colposcope
- A binocular optical device with bright coaxial illumination and variable magnification (typically 4x-40x), originally designed for cervical examination but widely adopted in...
- Context number
- A unique integer assigned to each discrete stratigraphic unit at the moment of identification. Numbers are sequential and non-reusable. Even if a...
- Context plan
- A hand-drawn plan at a standard scale (typically 1:10 or 1:20) showing the outline and internal features of one context. Drawn before...
- Context sheet
- The primary recording document for a single context: a standardised form capturing description, dimensions, relationships, samples, and finds before the context is...
- EXIF metadata
- Exchangeable Image File Format data embedded in a digital image by the camera. Includes date, time, camera model, exposure settings, and GPS...
- Forensic photography
- Photography conducted to evidentiary standards, producing images that can be authenticated as accurate representations of a finding at a specific time, with...
- RAW format
- A camera capture format that records unprocessed sensor data, preserving all original exposure and colour information. RAW files are preferred over JPEG...
- Relationship matrix
- A section of the context sheet or a separate table that lists which contexts this context is directly above, directly below, and...
- Section drawing
- A vertical cut through the excavated sequence, drawn at 1:10 or 1:20, showing the relative positions, depths, and angles of all contexts...
- Site archive
- The complete record of a forensic excavation: field notebooks, context sheets, photographic record, sample register, finds catalogue, and digital survey data. In...
Explained in these topics
- Forensic Photography and Colposcopy in Clinical SettingsA contemporaneous written record of every photograph taken during a forensic examination: frame number or file name, anatomical location, time of capture, and...
- Single-Context Recording SystemA sequential record of every photograph taken during excavation, cross-referenced by frame number or file name to the context it depicts, including the directi...
- Site Photography and IllustrationA written record, kept on site alongside the context records, that logs each photograph with its file name, date, time, photographer, subject description, view...