Art, Craft and Design (Photography)

Course summary

Photography is a visual language which can be understood anywhere in the world. This is a dynamic A Level option where you will explore the creation of photograms in the darkroom, making cyanotypes, mastering studio lighting in our gallery space and innovative post production using Adobe Photoshop. All the techniques covered in this course aim to mirror the pace of working within the photography industry. Our state of the art facilities will provide a stimulating space where you can work towards creating and refining a thought provoking portfolio which you love and feel proud of. Creative minds come together to innovate and push the boundaries of visual language to leave a lasting impression on anyone who views your work. You will explore the impact photography has had on consumerism, civil rights and contemporary art by referencing practitioners such as Barbara Kruger, Peter Kennard and Alyssa Monks. Visiting exhibitions in London and/or engaging with virtual exhibitions will help to inform your choice of course beyond A Level and support you with taking the first step towards breaking into creative industries. Year 12 Term 1 & 2: Induction period of foundation skills workshops to broaden your creative horizons and introduce you to new materials and processes. Component 1: Personal Investigation worth 60 %. This concludes by 1st February in Year 13. Throughout this unit, you will develop ideas through written analysis of Artists’ work, experiment with lighting, record your thought process and present a final piece which will be included as part of an end of year show. You will aim high to produce a body of work rather than one single piece. Your Teachers and peers will provide extended feedback and portfolio advice throughout this unit. This component includes a personal study essay of 1000 words minimum. Component 2: Externally set task worth 40%. This starts 1st February and concludes early May. You will produce a second portfolio in response to a given stimulus which is set by the exam board. Previous titles have included community, tension, composition and pick and mix. Starting points tend to be open ended to encourage lateral thinking, individual development of ideas and a breadth of outcomes. Given a broad theme as a starting point, you are required to prepare your ideas, intentions and a final response. You will produce your final outcome under exam conditions in fifteen hours. This will be completed over three days in the Art classroom.