Year 13 art photography

The study of Art Photography enhances perception and focus. Art Photography asks profound questions about the things we observe, imagine, and invent. How do we understand what we experience? How might we communicate the most important elements of the things we think, feel and see? 

Students who study Photography will:

• find opportunity and support in the Art room where you have the freedom to express your ideas and work creatively with access to specialist photography equipment and studio space.

• benefit from enhanced well-being and improved health and happiness – many students comment that taking Art Photography as a subject acted as an outlet for releasing the pressures of studying as well as those of everyday life.

• develop critical thinking and the ability to interpret the world around you.

• develop photography techniques, research skills, develop Adobe Photoshop skills and conceptual thinking for further art study at tertiary level in a range of disciplines.

Studying Photography can open doors to creative industries such as:

• Editorial, Press and Fashion Photographer

• Photographer, Artist, Art Director, Filmmaker, Video editor, Image Retoucher

• Art Restorer, Gallery Curator, Production assistant, Teacher, Art Historian

Visual skills are essential for a sophisticated workforce, so by studying Art you gain an education in the vital skills of learning to see and develop the ability to interpret and critique our image-saturated world. 

You will develop your Photography skills and ideas through:

• Engaging in a personalised project inspired by your interests and passions, through an independent workbook practice and portfolio

• Advancing your pictorial understanding of what makes a series of photographs artistic vs a 'snapshot'

• Extending your technical ability and to think conceptually

This will be done through studying various photographers and the work they do, then giving similar things a go. You will also learn to relate to others through exploring and perceiving art issues and understand the function of photography within social contexts, making it relevant to now. 

Part of the programme will be for you to manage yourself so you develop skills that will allow you to reach informed conclusions about your own art works. This will be done by participating and contributing to discussion on how to critique art and this will be evident in the quality of work submitted.

Lastly, you will use a variety of language, symbols, and texts in such a way that you will process information and think/write about photography with the understanding that you will need to use the appropriate terminology to photography and understand the ways in which values are attached to art works. You will also self-direct and extend your skills using the Adobe creative packages with guidance from your Teacher and online tutorials.

Do you have a burning issue you want to explore? Is there an aspect of your world, your community, your culture, or your identity that you want to express? Do you enjoy the act of observing the world closely and representing that through new, innovative ways? 

The great thing about studying Photography at Year 13 is that YOU get to design the context of your course. The whole year is project based and you start with developing a proposal based on your interests and passions, generate your own imagery, analyse established artists work, and apply your ideas through the action of 'drawing with light' through an independent workbook practice and folio. 

To find success in Year 13 Photography you will need to able to work with independence, autonomy and self-discipline. 

It is recommended that you have attained a minimum of 14 credits in one of the Level 2 Art courses as this means you have already had experience managing your own year long art project and developed skills with photographic media. However, if you wish to select this subject with no prior photography experience you are encouraged to request an interview with the HOD Art. You may be asked to create a series of photographs and it is preferable to have some experience in Adobe Photoshop.

You may enrol in a maximum of two Art courses.

Cameras - While students are encouraged to own their own DSLR camera, the Photography Department has a bank of DSLR cameras that students may borrow for up to 48 hours at a time free of charge. 

Stationery - Most work in Photography is completed digitally, but students are encouraged to purchase the following stationery kit from National Art Supplies. 

Internal assessments will be ongoing throughout the year to develop sound work habits and plot progress. A folio consisting of three panels 640 x 820 mm will be externally assessed at the end of the end of the year. There will be a mid-year two panel portfolio exhibition requirement as well. 

Achievement Standards:

• 3.2 - Use drawing to demonstrate understanding of conventions appropriate to photography. This is workbook based (Internal - 4 credits)

• 3.3 - Systematically clarify ideas using drawing informed by established photography practice. This is workbook based (Internal - 4 credits)

• 3.4 - Produce a systematic body of work that integrates conventions and regenerates ideas within photography practice. This is a 3 panel portfolio (External - 14 credits)

Homework

There is an expectation that you reflect and refine on your work independently outside of the classroom. This may mean taking photo-shoots in your own time because of your chosen subject matter. The more interested you are in your own proposal generally leads to more success!

Scholarship

Scholarship will be an on-going inquiry throughout the year through a visual diary. The requirement of 8 x A3 pages will be collated from the investigation and research from your journal, and will be submitted alongside the folio in Term 4. The teacher will monitor your visual diary work so that you will receive on-going feedback and suggestions as the year progresses. There are 5 workshop across all disciplines held throughout the year for you to collaborate across the various art disciplines and provide more depth to your inquiry. It is expected that each student updates their visual diary as frequently as every week. The scholarship format will be supported by exemplars and other resources. All students are able to go through the scholarship process, however, students will have the choice in regards to submission.

Digital Submissions

All digital submissions need to have actual moving images within the painting/design/photography to be considered by NZQA. For example: a filmed advertisement, a time-based installation or moving/changing graphic. 

NZQA Visual Art Subject Resources

http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-standards/qualifications/ncea/subjects/visual-arts/levels/

http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-standards/qualifications/ncea/subjects/visual-arts/external-exemplars/

School Policy for NCEA Assessment

You should be aware of the school procedures for NCEA assessment.  They can be found on the school website at this link. There you will find answers to frequently asked questions about how NCEA works as well as guidance about how to apply for extensions, reconsiderations or the process for withdrawing from a standard.