John Smith - independent forensic scientist for Forensic Access - specialising in forensic imaging and forensic photography - Forensic Access: providing independent forensic science services to the defence and prosecution

John R A Smith BSc. (Hons), MSc, MFS

Currently employed as Senior Lecturer in Photography & Digital Imaging at the University of Westminster, John is one of the UK’s leading experts in the area of forensic imaging, with over ten years experience working for the major forensic science providers: first with the Serious Crime Unit of the Forensic Science Service (London laboratory) and then with Forensic Alliance and latterly LGC Forensics (Culham). John established Forensic Alliance’s Imaging Services and was instrumental in introducing their Fingerprint Service. John has a BSc (Honours) in Photographic & Electronic Imaging Science and an MSc in Digital & Photographic Imaging. He is a member of the Fingerprint Society, the International Association of Identification and the Imaging Science Group of the Royal Photographic Society.

John’s experience & expertise include:

Approximately seventy major crime scenes with more than ten UK police forces
Forensic examination for fingerprints, footwear marks, blood and other body fluids
Use of specialist lighting techniques, filtered light (eg. lasers, Crimescope, ultra-violet lamps)
Photography, digital image processing, enhancement and restoration
Lifting and casting methods, chemical enhancement

The consistently high quality of his work has gained him many personal commendations and an international reputation. He has provided many tailor-made training lectures, courses and workshops for customers and institutions including:

Fingerprint and Footwear Forensic team of the Home Office Scientific Development Branch
Various UK Police forces
Kings College, London
Lausanne University, Ecole des Sciences Criminelles
University of Technology, Sydney
New South Wales Police’s Specialist Location & Recovery Unit
New South Wales Association of Fire Investigators

John’s University work includes teaching the scientific principles and applications of imaging systems; he is a member of the University of Westminster’s Imaging Technology Research Group and continues to conduct research in forensic imaging and marks enhancement. Through regular conference attendance, personal visits and academic channels, John has built up a worldwide network of contacts relevant to his specialist areas. Through his work as an independent forensic imaging consultant he can access this network to the benefit of a wider range of interested parties.