ART & DESIGN - PHOTOGRAPHY GCSE

Exam Board: AQA

Course Overview / Introduction

The creative industry influences a large portion of our modern life. Photography provides you with an opportunity to develop personal responses to themes, allowing individual creativity to flourish. You will learn to become more aware of your surroundings, by viewing your environments through a creative perspective, where the possibilities are endless.

What will you study?

Whilst studying GCSE Photography you will learn skills, processes and techniques surrounding lens based media on both technical and practical levels. You will investigate how to use a camera and different sources of lighting to create photographic outcomes, supported with creative and technical use of Adobe Photoshop. Examples of photographic topics you may cover are: portraiture, landscape, studio, nature, documentary etc.

How many exams are there?

Unit 1 (60%): Portfolio and Sustained Project

In Year 10, students will carry out a range of photographic exercises in the initial term of the GCSE, developing skills in contextual analysis, interpretation, digital and physical manipulation, Photoshop, planning, experimentation and evaluation, in order to develop individual outcomes. At the beginning of the Spring Term,  you will start a guided project from a choice of 3 themes: Objects, Paper or Texture, which finishes shortly after the Easter holidays. At the end of Year 10, you will start your final coursework project, chosen by you from a range of past ESA themes, enabling you to choose a style of photography that you enjoy. You will complete this project by Christmas of Year 11.

Unit 2 (40%): Externally Set Assignment (ESA)

In the January of Year 11, students are given their ESA paper and have 10 to 11 weeks to create a personal response to their chosen theme and to develop preparatory work. The ESA finishes with a 10 hours continuous and supervised time, in exam conditions, to produce a portfolio of work and a final outcome.

What will you gain from this course?

Not only will you learn to take photographs using different techniques and styles, you will have the opportunity to develop transferable skills such as the ability to use IT software such as Google Slides and Adobe Photoshop, creative and practical problem solving, developing ideas through research, practical application, analysis and critique which are highly transferable skills and used in many walks of life.

What does this lead to?

You can continue your Photography studies at A-Level and then onwards at university or an apprenticeship. If you don’t want to take your photography studies any further, the transferable skills you gain will still be valuable. You’ll develop problem solving, creative thinking, investigation, research, communication and teamwork skills, and gain the ability to develop, refine and present ideas. Employers and universities regard all of these highly.

Staff Contact:

Miss T Wilhelmy,
Head of Creative Arts