Forensic Photography Course Outline & Policies

Course Home Website: Most information, including dates, will be on the course home website.
Pinned Sessions: Dates for each subsequent class will be pinned at the top of the course home website; students should check these regularly.

Course Nature: This is a crash course focused on basic photography.
Prior Experience: No prior photography experience is required; fundamentals of photography and camera use will be taught.
Camera Types Covered: Instruction will cover Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) and mirrorless cameras.
Applications: The skills learned are applicable to:
- Utilizing a camera at a crime scene.
- Personal artistic endeavors.
- Increasing social media followers through artistic photography.
- Techniques can also be applied to phone photography for future use.

DSLR Cameras: The course will provide a set amount of DSLR cameras.
Limited Supply: Due to limited supply, students are strongly encouraged to:
- Bring their own DSLR camera if they possess one (a DSLR is generally identifiable by its interchangeable lens).
- Borrow a DSLR from friends or family members if possible.
Importance of Personal Camera: Using a personal or borrowed camera allows students to familiarize themselves with the equipment they will most likely utilize in their personal work.

Lectures: All lectures are prerecorded.
Weekly Check-ins: There will be weekly check-in sessions, which will also be recorded.
- Attendance: Attendance for check-ins is not mandatory due to varying student schedules and commitments.
- Purpose: These sessions are for explaining assignments and addressing student concerns.

Weekly Assignments: (Percentage not specified in this section but implied to be part of ongoing assessment).
- These are considered fun and will be integrated into weekly updates.
In-Class Participation: (Percentage not specified).
- Evaluates active engagement and camera utilization during the two in-class sessions.
- Directly impacts understanding for the practical exam; lack of participation suggests a lack of fundamental understanding.
Final Photography Assignment: (Percentage not specified).
- This is the final artistic piece of artwork.
- Criteria: Must be original and completed within the ten-week course duration.
- Grading: Graded by professional photographers.
In-Class Presentation: (Percentage not specified).
- Format: $5$ -minute presentation with PowerPoint visuals on a topic of the student's choosing.
- Grace Period: A $1$ -minute grace period is allowed (totaling $4$ to $7$ minutes).
- Penalty: Exceeding the grace period results in an automatic $50\%$ deduction.
- Requirement: Requires practice and preparation.
Final Written Examination: $25\%$
Final Practical Exam: $10\%$

Preferred Email: dtoa@bcit.ca (faculty email).
- This email is checked almost daily as it is linked to the instructor's personal work phone and used for police department and faculty work.
Non-Preferred Email: dtoa@my.bcit.ca (is not checked).

Zero Tolerance: Strict policy due to the instructor teaching multiple courses.
Deduction: Late assignments incur a $50\%$ deduction per day.
Automatic Zero: After two days of being late, an assignment will receive a zero grade.
Due Dates: Assignments are typically due on Friday at midnight (or 8 PM as later clarified for specific assignments for consistency).
Illness Policy:
- Students must notify the instructor ahead of time if they anticipate being late.
- For illness, a doctor's note is mandatory to be excused from a late submission penalty. General excuses like a