Photography (GCSE

Separate Sciences (GCSE

WHY SHOULD I OPT FOR PHOTOGRAPHY?

Are you creative, imaginative and have a willingness to learn? Do you enjoy exploring ideas and developing your understanding of the visual world, learning practical skills and responding to ideas and issues in ways that are personal to you.

BRIEF OVERVIEW:

Photography is about looking, learning, thinking and communicating ideas. It inspires creative thinkers. Photography means ‘drawing with light’ whether it be analogue or digital it is what photographers do when they capture an image. No specific qualifications are needed but it would help to have studied a creative subject or to have done some Photography previously. You need to have a genuine interest and a willingness for self-directed work in and outside of lessons. Students will work mainly with digital cameras and workflow, however traditional darkroom facilities allow for extending experimentation opportunities. Independent visits to exhibitions and galleries are an essential element of this course.

Entry onto the course is conditional on you having your own DSLR camera. ASSESSMENT:

COMPONENT 1: PORTFOLIO 60% OF QUALIFICATION:

This component comprises a major practical portfolio and outcome/s to be based on internally set themes and subject matter developed from personal and/ or given starting points. This component will be internally set, internally assessed and externally moderated. Work will be selected, evaluated and presented for assessment by the student. Evidence is required of how the student has met each of the assessment objectives.

Part 2: 10 hour period of sustained focus work.

The resolution of the student’s ideas from the preparatory work must be completed during the designated 10 hours of sustained focus work.

Work will be selected, evaluated and presented for assessment by the student. The Externally Set Assignment will be set by Eduqas, assessed by the teacher and externally moderated. Both the preparatory work and sustained focus work will be assessed together using the assessment objectives: AO1 Critical Understanding AO2 Creative Making AO3 Reflective Recording AO4 Personal Presentation.

HOW WILL THIS GCSE HELP ME IN THE FUTURE?

Students will develop skills in English and ICT. They will also learn to confidently use SLR and DSLR cameras, (wet) darkroom equipment, digital darkroom (Photoshop) equipment and software. In addition, they will experiment with a variety of media and processes, manage their own learning, organise their independent study and make use of online learning.

COMPONENT 2: EXTERNALLY SET ASSIGNMENT 40% OF QUALIFICATION:

The Externally Set Assignment consists of two parts:

Part 1: Preparatory study period

Externally Set Assignment will consist of assignments based on themes, visual stimuli and written briefs, which are to be presented to the student at the start of the preparatory study period.

One of the assignments is to be selected by the student and used as a starting point from which to elicit a personal, creative response. Responses are developed during the preparatory study period.