Art and Design (Photography)

Course summary

To broaden your visual language skills To develop and demonstrate a deep appreciation of the skills, knowledge and understanding of Photographic world To develop competence and confidence in using a camera, darkroom and photography studio To further investigate the history of photography and how it has helped comment on our civilisation To understand how visual and written language are linked and to be able to comment and analyse imagery to deepen understanding The course begins with workshop skills, focusing on the tools required for the course. It includes the history of photography, artist studies and responses, Photoshop skills, dark room techniques, lighting and ‘how to use your camera’. Year 12 continues with a practical unit. Students attend an educational visit to Bournemouth, where they gain inspiration and photographs based on the title “Watching the English”. The unit concludes with a 5-hour ‘exam day’, completed in exam conditions. The Personal Investigation unit begins with an educational visit to London, taking in the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery. Research undertaken on the visit acts as inspiration for the title of the unit. The unit includes a 2000 word essay to accompany practical work. An external list of questions from AQA acts as the starting point for the final unit. Students choose one question and investigate over a period of 12 weeks. The unit concludes with 15 hour exam condition days.