Photography

Key Contact:  Nigel White nw@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk

Photography at The Gryphon encourages creativity and independent learning. We encourage our students to take risks and find their creative talents. Handing responsibility and ownership of their learning to them and encouraging students to learn by exploration and experimentation. Looking at the work of other established photographers we encourage our students to take inspiration from them and develop their own styles of aesthetic and critical understanding. Looking at the everyday different is what makes a great photographer, and we actively develop this ethos within our students in order that they can let their creativity flow. Photography presents many opportunities for development in other areas such as games design, art, fashion, architecture and the like.

Course Content

Year 7

At present photography is not taught in year 7

Year 8

At present photography is not taught in year 8

Year 9

Groups in year 9 rotate with Hospitality & Catering on a triannual basis so the course content detailed below is repeated with each new group / rotation:

During the (approximately) 14-week unit students look at the fundamental skills of photography. Initially students look at compositional skills such as the law of thirds, use of shape, tone, texture, colour, the golden spiral, foreground dominance and leading line. After this has been completed student create their own series of images on a rolling theme. Emphasis is on the creation of images with a small theoretical element. Encouraging levels on independent learning and preparing students for photography GCSE.

Assessment

Year 9

Work is online and assessed via Microsoft Teams. Assessment comes from Research tasks, written evaluative comments and practical outcomes.

Homework

Students are log onto the MS Teams PowerPoint and complete and written elements outstanding this is set once per term at the end of the unit.

Useful information, links and resources

17 of the “best” photographer websites: The 17 best photography websites | Creative Bloq

How to analyse a photograph: Image Analysis – Photography (weebly.com)

Depth of field simulator: DOF simulator – Camera depth of field calculator with visual background blur and bokeh simulation.

Key Stage 4 Subject overview

Key Contact:  Nigel White nw@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk

Syllabus Information:

Students study the Eduqas photography syllabus comprising of 2 core components. Component 1 is coursework based and makes up 60% of the GCSE grade. Component 2 is an exam question which runs from January until April of year 11 and makes up the remaining 40% of the grade.

At the start of year 10 students are introduced to core camera skills and techniques at both a practical and theoretical level. Mini workshops lead to students developing their own styles and standard ways of working. Students are encouraged to develop their own styles and skills and are exposed to many of the different avenues that photography can lead them. This leads to larger (termly) projects. After Easter of year 10, students start on the component 1 element, and work on this until Christmas of year 11. In January of year 11 the exam paper is launched and completed in the penultimate weeks before Easter.

Course Content

Year 10

• Half Term 1: Skill Building Theme: Capturing Miniature Worlds
• Half Term 2: Shoot the thing you love
• Half Term 3: Mixed Media
• Half Term 4: Theme TBC choice of : Fashion/Transport (toys>vehicles)/The Environment (nature)
• Half Term 5: Reality vs Illusion
• Half Term 6: Unit 1 introduction

Year 11

• Half Term 1: Unit 1 statement of intent leading to development
• Half Term 2: Unit 1 development
• Half Term 3: Unit 1 final images and mock exam
• Half Term 4: Unit 2 / Exam
• Half Term 5: Unit 2 / Exam

Assessment

Year 10

• Assessment 1: Cyanotype (practical and theory)
• Assessment 2: Pinhole camera (practical and theory)
• Assessment 3: Macro workshop
• Assessment 4: Shoot the thing you love (written element)
• Assessment 5: Shoot the thing you love (practical element)
• Assessment 6: Mixed media 1 (Digital)
• Assessment 7: Mixed media 2 (Practical)
• Assessment 8: Objects (Studio Workshop)
• Assessment 9: Objects (Natural light workshop)
• Assessment 10: Unit 1 – Critical Study 1 (written)
• Assessment 11: Unit 1 – Critical Study 1 (practical)
• Assessment 12: Unit 1 – Critical Study 2 (Written)

Year 11

• Assessment 1: Unit 1 – Critical Study 2 (practical outcome)
• Assessment 2: Unit 1 – Creative statement part 1
• Assessment 3: Unit 1 – Shoot planning (both studies)
• Assessment 4: Unit 1 – Experimental shoot 1 (practical outcome)
• Assessment 5: Unit 1 – Creative Statement part 2
• Assessment 6: Unit 1 –  Experimental shoot 2 (practical outcome)
• Assessment 7: Unit 1 – Shoot plan, shoot and evaluation (ES2 written element)
• Assessment 8: Unit 1 – Creative Statement part 3
• Assessment 9: Unit 1 – Final Outcomes (practical)
• Assessment 10: Unit 1 – Final outcomes (written evaluation)

Homework

Set on a rolling bases depending on what unit is currently being studied. Expectation is that students will spend time outside of school creating images or finalising written elements. The equates to approximately one hour of homework per week.

Useful information, links and resources

More information on course content:  GCSE Specification Template

How your work is assessed:  eduqas-gcse-art-design-1.pdf

17 of the “best” photographer websites: The 17 best photography websites | Creative Bloq

How to analyse a photograph: Image Analysis – Photography (weebly.com)

Depth of field simulator: DOF simulator – Camera depth of field calculator with visual background blur and bokeh simulation.

(Article) – 50 great photographers of all time: The 50 best photographers ever | Digital Camera World