Photographs of the Shroud of Turin

Welcome to Vernon Miller’s Photo Collection of the Shroud of Turin

(Published with special permission for FIAMC)

The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth approximately three and a half feet by fourteen feet. This cloth displays the blood marked image of a naked man who carries the same wounds of torture and crucifixion as described in the Gospel of John which tells of the passion and death of Jesus. The Shroud was brought to its present location, the Turin Cathedral in Italy, in 1578. It was first photographed in 1898 by Secondo Pia and then again in 1931 by Guiseppe Enrie. In 1978 it was photographed by Vernon D. Miller. This website introduces his work to the world via the internet, providing access to all who want to conduct research on the cloth’s mysterious image, explore its genesis and meaning, contemplate its beauty and reflect upon it. As you study the astonishing image of the Man of the Shroud, keep in mind that it tells us much more than what is written here; the image itself expresses its own unique visual story.

About Vernon Miller

Vernon Miller was a world-wide renowned scientific photographer of the historic Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA. One of the finest photographers of his time, Vernon Miller was designated as the official scientific photographer of the 1978 Shroud of Turin Research Project, Inc.-STURP. This team of scientists spent more than 120 hours conducting tests on the Shroud. Vernon’s visual treasure of general, technical and experimental photographs are now available to the public under the license agreement for this website.

It was Vernon’s wish to have his collection digitalized so that it could be available to future generations. With the completion of the organization and digitalization of the Vernon Miller collection that is now available on this website, his goal has been met. We hope that these photos will cause you to sense what Vernon Miller exclaimed in a moment of awe, “What do you do with images like these?”

Explore this Photo Collection

All of the 199 high-quality photos in the collection can be magnified allowing excellent visualization of Vernon’s work. Free downloads are also provided that produce high resolution prints. Of course, any downloads require adherence to the license requirements. (See License for Photos below.) Two ways you can view the photos:

Quick Tour – This area includes photos from the in-depth study, which views the shroud from different photographic techniques, along with basic descriptive information of key Shroud photos to help those unfamiliar with the Shroud better understand the blood marks and image on the cloth.

In-Depth Study – Explore 7 sections based on the photographic films (for example, Black & White, 35mm slides, etc.) and how each of these techniques is used to highlight different parts of the shroud. Each has its own set of galleries with an explanation of the photos.

In-depth study consists of 7 different photographic perspectives of the Shroud, each for different purposes

1. Black & White Film – 4″x5″2. Black & White Film – 8″x10″3. Color Micrographs 35mm (Slides)4. Color Transparencies 4″x5″5. Color Transparencies – 8″x10″6. Color & Ultraviolet Light 7. Color Film from Negatives

1. Black and White Film 4″ x 5″

In this section there are many 4 x 5 black and white films which illustrate Vernon’s photographic and dark room expertise in using different exposure times, etc. to produce very fine black and white negative photos of high contrast that resulted in the clearest features of the Man of the Shroud.

4×5 Black and White Films are good for viewing: