Eagle eye

Forensic photography expert HMR Perera talks about his life and times and his love affair with the camera

Even though forensic photography is not widely spoken about subject in Sri Lanka, countless Hollywood detective stories have made us familiar with them through criminal investigation stories. When photogr­aphers swarm in and take countless pictures twisting and turning their cameras of a crime scene, it offers a clue which tells the audience that there is going to be a criminal investigation surrounded by mystery. Yet is that the way it really works? How does crime scene photography work in real life? Kalabooshana HMR Perera, a forensic photographer, who used to work for the Forensic Photographic Bureau of Criminal Investigations Department, explained to The Nation how crime scene photography really works.

“Since its purpose is to record evidence that will be admissible in court, it's hardly a haphazard operation, even though it looks like that in movies. It is a responsible job which only a trained individual can carry out,” he explained.

HMR Perera hails from Muwandeniya, Matale. He received his formal education at Ananda Shastralaya Kotte and also at Boward’s College Ambepitiya. After his school career he joined the Criminal Investigation Department and subsequently enrolled as a student of the Hegoda School of Photography. In 1971 he was appointed to the photographic Bureau of Criminal Investigation Department after undergoing a special training program.

The 19th century French photographer Alphonse Bertillon was the first to approach a crime scene with the systematic methods of an investigator. “Crime scene photography, also called forensic photography has been around almost as long as the camera itself. With the technology behind, the forensic photographer can make a record of a crime scene, a piece of evidence or even a body,” Perera explained. “The photographer has to make images at various distances in the crime scene and take ground level and overhead shots as it could depict the story as it was in the court room,” he added. 

­According to Perera forensic photographs are essential for investigating and prosecuting a crime because most evidence is transitory. Fingerprints must be lifted, bodies must be taken away and examined and those places must be returned to their normal state. Photographs help preserve the most fleeting evi­dence and the placement of items in a room and the relation of evidence to other objects. “These photographers help the judges to examine what they can’t see in three dimensional views,” Perera iterated.  LTTE’s first attack, Dore Appa’s murder, and Palali bank robbery are among the criminal investigations he was officially tasked with. 

Retiring from CID Photo Bureau in 1979 he joined the State Trading Corporation as a Manager helping to import photo equipment from Germany. “I left there at the onset of the free economy. Then I opened a professional studio where students can come and utilize themselves. It also helped me with my personal photography,” he said.

Although he chose forensic photography as a career in his early life, he never lost interest on fine art photography.  He believes that this interest was nurtured from the Hagoda institute. He is still an active member of the National Photographic Art Society of Sri Lanka. Once he was the Exhibition Secretary of the society and received his associate-ship (ANPAS) in 1976. He has represented Sri Lanka at a number of International Photographic Exhibitions and was awarded the AFOAP by the federation Internationale de I’ Art Photographique in the year 1977.  He did his first one man photograph exhibition in 1978 at Lionel Wendt. His last exhibition in 2009 was his fourth photographic exhibition.

He has been lecturing photographic students in the Sri Lanka National Photographic Art Society since 1975. He extended this service to Nalluruwa Photographic Association, Upcountry Photographic Society, National Youth Services Council and School Photographic Societies on many occasions. He has also served as a panel member in seven local and International photographic competitions.

“My secret of being a fine- fine art photographer is watching movies. I used to watch all the movies which came in to theater. By the time I started watching movies there wasn’t even film halls; just the temporary huts,” he recalled. “I learnt many photographic skills just by watching movies. If you are intelligent and if you have watched enough movies inspecting the angles, lighting and positions, becoming a skilled photographer is not a big deal,” he pointed out.

According to Perera, a fine art photographer should also have a good knowledge about literature since fine art photography is also an art similar to drawing or painting. “Reading is essential. It gives the photographer the sensitivity he needs and what he needs to know about the settings beyond the camera,” he explained. “That’s also the message I have to give out to the budding photographers. They should watch good movies and read good literature,” he reiterated.

He also said that the future of photography is unpredictable with digitizing of the camera. Emergence of electronic imaging has allowed photographers the use of increasingly sophisticated methods of both capturing and manipulating images. “There was a time when we couldn’t make color photographs here. It all had to be sent to Singapore to get printed,” he mentioned. Even printing black and white pictures was a difficult task and it consumed a lot of time dealing with chemicals inside dark rooms to get the final product. “When all became digital, taking or printing photography became effortless. Photography was invented in 1950s. Its development was very slow until 1980s. When digital photography was invented in 1986, the development in the field was unimaginably fast. So I don’t know how far it will go from here. But might go backwards too,” he opined. 

Perera believes that altering images using photo editing software is also a form of art.  “Image editing is used to describe different processes that can be used to manipulate images in different forms which may be analog or digital, some might oppose, but I suppose that is a form of art too. That also shows the creativity of the photo editor. His success depends on his skills,” he explained.

He also said that Sri Lanka has adequate facilities to offer budding fine art photographers. “We have more than enough facilities. Good places to learn and enough opportunities too. If one reads and educates himself on the matter, it is not a hard task,” he said. He also worked as Editor of Shutter Art Photographic Digest for years.

Apart from Photography Perera has also worked as a film director and script writer. He has directed four films as a guest director accepting the invitation of Government Film Unit (GFU) including Malaka Waruna (Flowers of Sri Lanka); a documentary movie about the flower diversity in Sri Lanka. Perera was specially trained as a film cameraman by the GFU and German Cultural Institute, Colombo under the director of photography Germany Claus Deubel in 1990. He still dispenses his knowledge when training film cameramen in Sri Lanka. He has also directed a movie named Day Dust which was taken to be screened in Germany.

Perera is determined to author a book on color composition and art in photography using the knowledge he has accumulated. He also maintains a library at home where students can collect information on various fields including photography. Perera, who is always ready to offer his knowledge to the students, dedicates most of his time for this apart from the training sessions and lectures he attends, against medical advice.

He was awarded the Kalabooshana State Award in December 2013 in appreciation of the service he has rendered to the country. He also received the Swarna Prabashwara Award in August 2013 by the National Association of Photographers Sri Lanka. When asked about his tremendous commitment and free lecturing at various institutes since 1975, he formed his answer by posing a question, “Not all is measured by money, is it?” 

Pic by Chandana Wijesinghe