# photo resolution-help me solve a crime. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 15, 2009, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-resolution-help-me-solve-a-crime/506496 "2009-08-15T05:03:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-resolution-help-me-solve-a-crime/506496/101 "2009-08-19T08:43:18Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > [Pretty sure the first character is a 5.](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3492/3835926036_c662c41ba6_o.jpg) Perhaps. Except the OP says (in their second post): > [@keturah](#): > > If it helps–a little late I know, but the witness is pretty sure the first number is a 6. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-resolution-help-me-solve-a-crime/506496/102 "2009-08-19T11:05:01Z")
> [@Henrichek](#): > > The problem is not camera shake or incorrect focus but the resolution limit of the sensor/lens combination. I think the picture is as good as it gets for that combination of camera and distance. If that was actually the problem, it would be possible to use some techniques mentioned to retrieve the plate. Another problem that I mentioned above is the sunlight on the white plate leading to overexposure. The pixles aren’t totally washed out, but there really isn’t much contrast there. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-resolution-help-me-solve-a-crime/506496/103 "2009-08-19T13:38:29Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Another problem that I mentioned above is the sunlight on the white plate leading to overexposure. The pixles aren’t totally washed out, but there really isn’t much contrast there. As long as they arent totally washed out, the detail is there. And its my understanding you can pull it out. The photo may not be “makeable” into something artistically pleasing however. Oh, another thing to keep in mind for folks trying to process this. I’ve seen example plates that have 2 oranges in center as well as one big orange. The old tags had an orange sillouette? of the state. And it could also be a vanity tag that has something else. ---
**Author:** ![JerseyFrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@JerseyFrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerseyFrank)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-resolution-help-me-solve-a-crime/506496/104 "2009-08-20T20:41:56Z")
I don’t think it’s been pointed out, probably because it’s obvious, but… There’s more than one person involved in this. Someone has to be holding down that brake pedal for the brake lights to be on. ---
**Author:** ![SayTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@SayTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SayTwo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-resolution-help-me-solve-a-crime/506496/105 "2009-08-21T04:57:29Z")
There’s too much spacing between the second and third characters for the second character to be a number. I suspect that the second character is an L. The last two characters appear to be 64. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-resolution-help-me-solve-a-crime/506496/106 "2009-08-21T05:42:35Z")
There may be more information there than you think, but you’ll have a hell of a time recovering it. There is no way for you to reconstruct an image that will let you read the digits off the license plate - however, if you were to recreate the exact conditions of that photograph with all possible Florida license plates, you would probably only find a few plates that give rise to that specific blurry pattern. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-resolution-help-me-solve-a-crime/506496/107 "2009-08-21T10:41:38Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > As long as they arent totally washed out, the detail is there. And its my understanding you can pull it out. There will be **less** detail, though, than if the photo was properly exposed. When the CCD records an overexposed subject, light “bleeds” from the bright pixels into the surrounding ones, which tends to obscure fine detail that would otherwise be visible. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-resolution-help-me-solve-a-crime/506496/108 "2009-08-21T10:47:24Z")
One day, all digital photographs will be HDR. We aren’t there yet. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-resolution-help-me-solve-a-crime/506496/109 "2009-08-21T17:09:52Z")
> [@](#): > > There will be less detail, though, than if the photo was properly exposed. When the CCD records an overexposed subject, light “bleeds” from the bright pixels into the surrounding ones, which tends to obscure fine detail that would otherwise be visible. Not only this, but deconvolution depends on the dynamic range of the image, and even without bleed, an overexposed image effectively has less dynamic range. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-resolution-help-me-solve-a-crime/506496.md?page=5)