IAI CFPH study guide
IAI CFPH · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Forensic Photographer (CFPH) credential is one of the certification programs administered under the International Association for Identification (IAI), the self-described oldest and largest forensic association in the world. The IAI lists "Forensic Photography & Imaging" among its certification offerings, alongside Bloodstain Pattern, Crime Scene, Footwear, Forensic Art, Forensic Video, Latent Print, and Tenprint Fingerprint certification. The credential is aimed at practitioners who document scenes, evidence, and examinations photographically and who want an independent, association-issued recognition of that specialty beyond employer-based titles. Because the IAI publishes its certification material through an "Overall Policies and Procedures" page plus discipline-specific pages, candidates should treat those documents as the authoritative statement of eligibility, application steps, testing arrangements, and any recertification requirements. This page does not reproduce or restate those parameters, and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the IAI; it is an independent study aid. Preparation should be built around the competencies a forensic photographer actually exercises: camera and lens operation, exposure and lighting control, scale and perspective documentation, scene and evidence photography sequences, macro and alternate light imaging, image integrity and chain-of-custody handling, and courtroom presentation of photographic evidence. Topics on this exam: Forensic Photography & Imaging. The IAI CFPH study guide has 1 section and about 416 words.
01Forensic Photography & Imaging
Forensic Photography & Imaging tests the IAI CFPH candidate on the technical and documentary controls that make a photograph evidentiary: exposure and optics, lighting, scale and perspective, specialized imaging, and digital integrity. The exam favors practical settings and a defensible workflow over artistic effect. Use the exposure triangle deliberately: aperture controls depth of field, shutter controls motion and camera shake, ISO controls amplification and noise. For scene and evidence work, use a tripod, a mid-aperture (commonly f/8–f/11) and the lowest ISO that permits adequate flash exposure.
416 words, about 2 minMore study resources for IAI CFPH
- Practice questionsIn a 35 mm full-frame camera, which focal length gives approximately the same diagonal field of view as the human eye and is therefore often used for general scene documentation at crime scenes?
- FlashcardsReciprocal exposure law. Exposure equals intensity times time; halving the aperture area and doubling the shutter time keeps exposure constant, so f/8 at 1/60 s equals f/5.6 at 1/125 s.
- Cheat sheetReciprocal exposure law: E = I × t; doubling shutter time and halving aperture area (one f-stop) keeps exposure constant, so f/8 at 1/60 s equals f/5.6 at 1/125 s.
- Key termsForensic photography. The branch of imaging used to document evidence, scenes, injuries, and persons for legal proceedings.
- Study planMap the full CFPH forensic photography and imaging body of knowledge into a written outline with every subtopic listed and weighted by your current confidence from 1 to 5.
- Common mistakesThe LCD is small, brightness-adjustable, and easily washed out by ambient light at a scene, so it flatters both exposure and sharpness; candidates trained on casual photography carry this habit into evidence work where the histogram and 100% zoom are the only reliable checks.
- Exam-day guideBring the original document you registered with (passport or national ID).