SHOE IMPRESSIONS

Visible impressions: Utilize natural and/or artificial light sources

Less visible and latent impressions: Oblique, coaxial, and polarized light

Latent dust impressions: Electrostatic Dust Lifter

Photograph shoe impressions as part of the overall/mid-range and close-up crime scene photographs.  Add photo markers and retake the overall/mid-range/close-up crime scene photographs with the photo markers in place.

If impressions are two-dimensional, you can use one of the following techniques to enhance them:

Black powder (latent impressions on nonporous surfaces)

Amido Black

Leucocrystal Violet

Diaminobenzidine (DAB)

Acid Fuchsin (Hungarian Red)

Luminol

Fluorescein

Ninhydrin

Include a L-shaped scale and a compass in all shoe impression photographs.  Utilize a tripod with a level to ensure that the camera is  at a 90 degree angle in relation to the shoe impression.  Fill the photo frame with the shoe impression.  Use an external flash (or flashlight if you don’t have an external flash available) and take the following series of photos:

Holding the flash at 45 degrees, take the following photographs:

One photograph from each side (north, south, east and west)

One photograph from each corner (northeast, southeast, northwest, southwest)

The adjust the flash to 90 degrees and take the following photographs:

One photograph from each side (north, south, east and west)

One photograph from each corner (northeast, southeast, northwest, southwest)

In total, there will be 8 photographs at 45 degrees and 8 photographs at 90 degrees.

Electrostatic Dust Lifter

Adhesive/gelatin lifters

Dental Stone Casting

When possible, collect and provide the original shoes for the footwear examiner to use during comparison.  The footwear examiner will make the required elimination impressions for their comparison.