Courses

Photography


Welcome to A level Photography 

Photography at HendonSchool is an exciting subject that allows students to investigate a range of photographic genres based on their own aesthetic and interests. Students are encouraged to seek an expressive and artistic response to the visual world that surrounds them while exploring their cultural and personal identities. 

The resources in this pack include:

  1.  Introducing the key ideas and skills

  2.  Examboard & assessment information

  3.  Useful websites to explore

  4.  Specialised facilities and computer equipment

  5.  Visits to museums and galleries  

 

1. Introducing the key ideas and skills

AS and A Level Photography will teach you:

  • the ability to explore formal elements of visual language; line, form, colour, tone, pattern, texture

  • responding to an issue, theme, concept or idea

  • showing in your work the use of viewpoint, composition, focus control, depth of field, movement and narrative

  • how ideas, feelings and meanings are conveyed and interpreted in images

  • historical and contemporary developments and different styles and genres in relation to Photography

  • how images relate to social, historical, vocational and cultural contexts 

Students must have an existing passion for photography and art and they need to purchase their own digital SLR/compact camera. (Please ask Ms Schmid or Mr Keller for advice on which model to buy.) A Level Photography will complement subjects that require analytical enquiry and creative synthesis such as: art, film studies, theatre studies, Philosophy & Ethics, English literature and Media studies.

A Level Photography provides students with following career opportunities and academic pathways:

  • Art & Design subjects Foundation Studies in Art & Design, BA Honours and MA degrees

  • photojournalist, fashion photographer, fine art photographer, commercial photographer (e.g. food and clothing), advertising art director, film director, cinematographer, film editor, film production, TV production, script writer, animation designer, computer games designer, art critic, magazine and newspaper editor 

 

2. Examboard & assessment information

Examination Board:  OCR     Photography/Art and Design H603

https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-and-a-level/art-and-design-h200-h600-from-2015/specification-at-a-glance/

Practical Examinations:

AS Photography- Controlled Assignment- 10h controlled time/practical exam –May 2021

A2 Photography- Controlled Assignment -15h controlled time/practical exam-May 2022

Assessment Details :

AS Unit 1 Coursework Portfolio -100% of total AS GCE marks

A2 Unit 1 Personal investigation -  60% of the total Advanced GCE marks

A2 Unit 2 Controlled Assignment - 40% of the total Advanced GCE marks

Coursework:

Year 12 Photography

AS Coursework Portfolio-

Students produce a portfolio of work based on 5 projects: Photogram animation/Still Life/Self-portraiture/ Identity Portraiture/ Street photography

AS Controlled Assignment-

Students select one starting point from a range of themes provided by the exam board and develop this into a creative project in preparation for the practical exam. They produce a series of final outcomes during a 10 hour practical exam. This series of work will be displayed as an exhibition in the Hendon School library in June.

Year 13 Photography

A2 Practical Portfolio and Related Study-60%

Students submit a major creative project investigation that has a personal significance and includes a Related Study essay of 3000 words.

A2 Controlled Assignment- Exam theme- 40%

Students select one starting point from a range of themes provided by the exam board and develop this into a creative project in preparation for the practical exam. They produce a series of final outcomes during a 15 hour practical exam. This series will be displayed as an exhibition in the HendonSchool library in June.

 

3. Useful websites to explore      
                              

 

4.  Specialised Facilities and Computer Equipment

Creative work applying a broad range of technologies

Students use lens-based media which they may manipulate with darkroom facilities and digital technology: we teach the use of traditional SLR and Digital SLR cameras and run workshops on traditional darkroom processes. Our facilities at Hendon School are very well funded and offer the following:

  • Two professional darkrooms for black & white paper printing: students will explore their creative ideas and become proficient in SLR film development and high quality black & white paper printing skills.

  • Two computer rooms fitted with 20 computers each: students will develop creative ideas using Adobe Creative Suite which includes Photoshop CS6, Lightroom and Moviemaker/Premiere programmes which we teach to an advanced level.

  • Exhibition space in collaboration with the Hendon school library to give students a forum in which to discuss and display their work-in-progress to a wider school audience.

  • All AS and A2 Photography students will have their project work displayed during an exhibition in January and June.

  • Self-published photobooks are produced by students using Blurb design software. This teaches students professional online publishing skills to promote their work

  • Hendon School’s cultural magazine EGG is produced in collaboration with our A Level Photography students. This provides them with the opportunity to work as a professional editorial team: they select images and written material from pupils in all year groups and design the layout using Microsoft Publisher.

  • Students organise a professional sales & marketing campaign and will ensure that the proceeds of the magazine’s sales will be donated to a charity of their choice.

  • In the past we have donated to Worldvision, a refugee charity, WWF, the World Wildlife Fund, the Grenfell Tower support fund and most recently to the Barnet youth charity YouthRealities.

  • Have a look at this link to see all magazine pages from the last edition:

 https://www.blurb.co.uk/b/9687513-egg-magazine-5

 

 5. Visits to Museums & Galleries

 Links to The Photographers Gallery & Autograph Gallery

  • Our students take part in a conceptual critique sessions in collaboration with Parliament Hill Sixth Form La Swap in order to exchange ideas with other Photography students.

  • We will travel to the BRIGHTON Photo Biennial to visit a range of exciting contemporary gallery spaces. Our students were finalist in the Photovision competition at the Phoenix Gallery in 2018.

  • Our department has a partnership link with The Photographers’ Gallery and Autograph Gallery. They have provided our department with exhibition and workshop opportunities. As part of the John Lyons Charity sponsored Visual Literacy project Seeing More Things we collaborated with professional photographers to develop projects which included visits to museums and galleries to broaden students’ understanding of contemporary photographic practice.

  • Hendon School’s A Level Photography students are taking part in workshops at The Photographers Gallery: they give talks at part of the OUTSET teen tours. They are guided to prepare conceptual and historical research on the chosen photographer and their names are advertised in the gallery’s monthly programme.

  • Our students have published online exhibition reviews on the Photographers Gallery website and have actively been engaged in the DEVELOP programme.

  • Students exhibited work in the Autograph Gallery exhibition space as part of the ALBUM project.

We look forward to welcoming you at Hendon School in the next academic year !

Course Leader

Miss Schmid

Email: schmid@hendonschool.co.uk




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