Photography
Note:
You do not need to own your own Digital SLR camera to choose this subject (although it may be an advantage). The school has a number of Digital SLRs, various lenses, tripods, etc, which you can borrow to take home.
All printing of photos for your folios is done at school using quality photo paper and a quality photo printer.
Year 9
Unit 1: Aperture and Shutter Speed
In this unit you will familiarise yourself with the Digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera. You will learn to use Shutter Priority mode and Aperture Priority mode to achieve a variety of effects. For example:
Shutter Priority - using a fast shutter speed to freeze the action and a slow shutter speed to blur the action. (see images below)
Freezing the Action - fast shutter speed eg. 1/2000 of a second
Blurring the Action - slow shutter speed eg. 1 second
Aperture Priority - Using a small aperture to achieve a broad Depth of Field (the whole image is in focus) and a large aperture to achieve a shallow Depth of Field (only a small part of the image is in focus). A shallow Depth of Field blurs unwanted distractions in the background, drawing the eye to the main subject. See images below.
Broad Depth of Field - small aperture (large f number eg f22)
Shallow Depth of Field - Large aperture (small f number eg f1.4)
Making: Using a Digital SLR camera you will take multiple photos using the above techniques. From your bank of images you will choose a photo illustrating each of the techniques to print for you portfolio.
Critical and Historical Study: Research historical developments in photography from the camera obscura to the digital age.
Unit 2: Elements of Composition
You will learn about the Structural Frame and how to compose interesting images using the elements of composition. You will take photos incorporating the elements of composition such as viewpoint, lighting, tone, texture, shape, pattern, leading lines, framing, colour, rule of thirds, etc. See examples below.
Colour
Framing
High Viewpoint
Low Viewpoint
High Key Lighting
Low Key Lighting
Leading LInes
Pattern
Rule of Thirds
Symmetry
Backlighting
Tonal Range
Making: You will produce a portfolio of your own images demonstrating an ability to combine various elements of composition to create interesting images.
Critical and Historical Study. Research the work of a selection of famous photographers.
Year 10
Unit 1: The Manipulated Image
In this unit you will learn about the various ways photographic images can be manipulated in the camera and by using software programs such as Photoshop. You will manipulate images of your choice and print them for your portfolio. Some examples of manipulated images by previous students are shown below.
Steve Jobs.docxLachlan's Originals Birdman PDF.pdfMotor bikes in Sunset.docxDoc 4.docxUnit 2: Theme Folio
In this unit you will explore your world as a source of ideas and meanings. You will produce a portfolio based on a theme of your choice, eg. Nature, Architecture, Sport, Farm Life, Beach, Machines, Flowers, etc
You will keep a diary of your photographic sessions including such things as: time of day, light conditions (overcast/sunny, ambient/artificial, etc), equipment used.
As part of your final portfolio you will produce a report based on the Conceptual Framework, ie. you as the artist (photographer), your world, your artwork (your images), the audience.
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