Photography A Level
The A Level Photography course is knowledge and skills based. The students are expected to question what a photograph is and challenge its purpose in different cultural and social environments. At the start of the course students will develop their knowledge and understanding of how to use the darkroom. Students will explore traditional photo developing processes by building their own pinhole camera and producing their own photographs. From this starting point, students will continue to experiment with more traditional photo-making processes and move on to more unusual ways of creating images. Students will be expected to develop a good understanding of how photographs can be created away from the digital camera and the computer. Students will be pushed to think creatively about how to create photographs and will be expected to experiment with their work, take risks and discover new methods to their practice.
From this initial starting point the students will be expected to explore how contemporary photographs. The academy uses the latest version of Photoshop cc to deepen the students understanding of the variety of image making techniques within photography.
During the final stages of year 12, the students are expected to complete a sustained project. This project should demonstrate the student’s ability to develop their own chosen themes.
Year 13 is broken into two parts, the students personal project and the final exam. Students will also be expected to complete a 3000-word essay to complement their personal project. The work the students create in year 13 is expected to demonstrate a good understanding of how photographs can be created and an ability to confidently experiment with developing their work throughout their work.
At the end of the course the students work is assessed with four different categories. The students will be prompted throughout the course to complete work that will evidence the assessment criteria.
AO1- Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources. Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.
AO2- Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes. Refine ideas through experimenting and selecting appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes.
AO3- Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses. Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to their intentions in visual and/or other forms.
AO4- Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language. Present a personal, informed and meaningful response demonstrating analytical and critical understanding, realising intentions and, where appropriate, making connections between visual, written, oral or other elements.
Jobs related to your degree include:
• Advertising art director
• Film/video editor
• Graphic designer
• Magazine features editor
• Medical illustrator
• Photographer
• Press photographer
• Television camera operator
Jobs where your degree would be useful include:
• Art therapist
• Digital marketer
• Media planner
• Multimedia specialist
• Museum/gallery curator
• Stylist
• VFX artist
• Visual merchandiser
• Web content manager
• Web designer