Art and Design (Photography)

Course summary

This course provides an exciting, diverse and challenging range of experiences for pupils. The emphasis is on developing creative skills and giving visual form to individual thoughts, feelings, observations and ideas. You will be challenged to take risks, make mistakes and be drawn out of your comfort zone. Conceptual thinking is encouraged and you will be challenged to discover the world around you from a new point of view and with fresh ideas. You will develop your ability to observe, to solve creative problems, to present your ideas and to manage creative projects. You will learn about new media, photography, film, animation, digital manipulation and installation. You will work artistically, experimenting with the photograph surface, manipulating, collaging and working in three dimensions. Through creative experiences you will learn how to critically analyse photography and film, you will be encouraged to evaluate your own progress, reviewing and refining your work as it progresses. The development of your practical work will be recorded in photographic journals. You will be provided with your own personal working space, where you will be encouraged to work independently during your study periods during the evening opening sessions and at Saturday open studio mornings. There will be opportunities for you to go on gallery visits, photo shoots outside of school and to work with practising artists and photographers. You will produce a contextual study in the form of an essay based on a Photographer of your choice, demonstrating your knowledge and understanding of their intentions, their work and the more complex issues involved.