1. photography BE CREATIVE.. GCSE PHOTOGRAPHY EXAM 2017 Student Handbook
NAME: Tutor group:
BE CREATIVE..

2. How is your exam assessed? Assessment Criteria
Marks available The exam is worth 40% of your final Photography exam grade.
How is your exam assessed?
Assessment Criteria
What does this mean to your work?
AO1: PHOTOGRAPHERS RESEARCH
Developing ideas through investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and cultural understanding
(20 marks)
You need to choose images, write about them, analyse, and refer to work of photographers, artists or cultures to help inspire and develop your own ideas. Demonstrate you understand their work through visual and written responses. Produce accurate emulations or images ‘in the style of’ your chosen photographers/artists. In written work refer to keywords and technical elements in the photography.
AO2: EXPERIMENTATION
Refining ideas through experimenting and selecting appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and
Processes
Experimenting and trying out ideas through using a variety of media, techniques, processes. Complete at least two PHOOTSHOOTS.
Document everything even if the work is not as successful – it’s part of your ‘refining’ journey. Don’t give up, explore and try to develop responses which are linked. Improve the quality of your work by modifying, retaking photographs, exploring light, composition, focus and environment.
Record when possible exposure times, notes on contact sheets, ideas.
AO3: WRITTEN and VISUAL ANALYSIS
Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to their intentions in visual and/or other Forms.
The quality of your photographs and use of editing software (visual analysis). Refer to keywords to describe the formal elements of your photography in your written analysis.
Use mind maps, contact sheets, print screen evidence, written evidence. Make sure your work is well presented to show off the quality of your work.
AO4: FINAL OUTCOME/S
Present a personal, informed and meaningful response demonstrating analytical and critical understanding realising intentions and, where appropriate, making connections between visual, written, oral or other
elements.
Producing high quality final outcome/s which is/are linked to the work of others. There should be depth in its sophistication and execution with a high degree of impact.
Analyse and evaluate your work.
Focus on the quality of your outcomes. Work beyond - take risks

3. Exam Questions – Initial Notes Read ALL the questions and make notes before you make a decision about which question you decide to follow
Detail
Out of place
Motion
Assembled
Creative Landscape
Architecture
Shelter

4. Organisation of your Work – please keep this booklet in your portfolio
All work must be in for each lesson as it must be verified as your own work and we need to see you actually producing the work submitted!!!!!!!!We also cannot give you the support to gain the required marks if work is left at home!!!!
Keep ALL work in your portfolio DO NOT LOSE IT Store work in school in your portfolio
Create an Exam Photography folder on your ICT area at home and school.
Ensure all your ICT work is saved into one of the folders. Back up all work onto a memory stick. Higher quality photographs take up more space.
Remember when saving photos from photoshop to save them as a JPEG.
Make sure that you evidence your edits – if we cant see your steps then we cant say it is your work !!!!!!
Overview
Week
Tasks to complete
Homework
Week 1: beg… wed 4th Jan
Exam paper and pupil exam booklet handed out in lesson
Powerpoint and questions, analysis as a group
Individual pupils make notes.
Begin to make choices on WHICH question to pursue.
Research questions :Look at the selected artists and selecting at least two. Produce a visual mind map around your chosen questions theme.
Week 2: beg Mon 9th Jan
Photographers research at least two from the exam paper. Produce written evidence including information about the artists and analyses of at least three pieces of work.
Be very careful the image you have is actually produced by the artist!!!!!
Print and mount in your work in the lesson, complete for homework.
Complete a double page of secondary visual research. This could include Pinterest images, photographs, found objects, magazine or newspaper images, dictionary definitions, key photographic words.
Week 3 beg
Mon 16th Jan
Produce an emulation based on one of your chosen photographers. Make sure you select an appropriate and achievable image to emulate.
Provide written evaluation of both the image and your attempt.
Plan and devise a shoot. Show editing processes to further develop your emulation.
Produce next steps and a shoot 1 plan.
AO1 should now be completed by end of week 3.

5. Overview Make sure all work is mounted to date Week Tasks to complete
Homework
Week 4 : beg Mon 23rd Jan
Development sources & studies.AO3 ;AO2
Plan and devise Shoot 1
Show at least 30 images that relate to your chosen question and link to your artists.
Evaluate your success highlighting any particular images that you will be developing further in the editing process.
Edit at least 4-6 images – these must show a development of ideas and not just the same effect on every photograph
ANNOTATE AND EVALUATE
Evaluate your work, explaining your ideas and what could be improved. Use the 'Annotating Your Work' prompt sheet for this.
Make sure all work is mounted to date
Week 5:
Beg 30th Jan
Editing and experimentation. Consider:
Manual editing of your photographs: reconstruct
Using different papers to print on: layering
Drawing onto your photos using: pen, stitching
.Devise and plan shoot 2
Show at least 30 images that relate to your chosen question and link to your artists. These must also show development from shoot 1
Week 6 : beg Mon 6th Feb
DEVELOPING IDEAS &
Conduct further research to develop ideas further
Experiment with new techniques that you have found and plan shoot 3
Conduct shoot 3
Show at least 30 images that relate to your chosen question and link to your artists. These must also show development from shoot 1 and 2

6. Overview Week 7 beg 13th Feb Week 8 beg 20th Feb Half term Week 9
Tasks to complete
Homework
Week 7 beg
13th Feb
TEACHER ASSESSMENT – catch up!
Produce at least three possible ideas for final outcomes which you will work on during the 10 hour exam.
Complete any work that you have been asked to do. Source any materials you may need for presenting your Final outcome/s.
Complete any shoots necessary to your development
Week 8 beg 20th Feb Half term
HALF TERM – use this opportunity to visit a gallery, sculpture park or town/city to take photographs , produce experiments, for your exam question.
Final Photoshoot if required ready for exam.
Source any materials you may need for presenting your Final outcome/s. complete any outstanding tasks! Planning Initial ideas for your possible final outcome
Week 9
Beg 27th Feb
FINAL DESIGN IDEA AND DEVELOPMENT AO4
Printing prototypes, experiment, small scale, written analysis. Decide on changes before the exam.
Record all ideas in your sketchbook, both visual and written, evaluate.
All written analysis should be completed
Mount all work for exam day
Week beg 6th March
EXAM o
All exam prep must be in for the exam day
EDITING you final outcome/s using software/ manual techniques,
All exam prep and final piece to be submitted by 3pm wed 15th March

7. Evaluating a Photographers work
It is very important to evaluate and analyse the work of your chosen photographer rigorously, not only to achieve good marks under AO1 but also to help you to build a greater insight into and understanding of their work and the motives behind it.
Use the prompts below to guide you in this process. Your analysis must flow grammatically as one piece of written work and cannot be simply brief and direct responses to the questions. Try to incorporate the formal elements.   
                                                                                                                                                
Content - looking at the subject of the photograph
What is it? What is it about? What is happening?
Where and when was it taken?
What do you think that the relationship between the photographer and subject/s is?
What does the photograph represent?
What has the photographer called the photograph?
Does the title change the way we see the photograph?
Is it a realistic depiction?
Have any parts been exaggerated or distorted? If so, why?
What is the theme of the photograph?
What message does the photograph communicate?
Composition - How the photograph is set out.
Form Dimensional shape through use of tone
Colour -Is the photograph colour or black and white? How does this affect the mood?
Tone -Is the photograph high or low contrast? How and why? The quality of light source can affect the tonal contrast? What kind of light source is there?
Line -What sorts of lines are there in the photograph? How have they been positioned in relation to the rest of the composition? What effect does this have?
Shape -What sorts of shapes are there in the image? Doe they remind you of anything? Do you think the photographer meant this? What kind of marks does the photographer use?
Pattern/Texture -What kinds of patterns and/or textures are there in the photograph?
How does the photograph make you feel?
Why do you think you feel like this?
Does the colour, texture, form or theme of the photograph affect your mood? How and why?

8. Your Notes

9. Key terms - Composition
Focal Point
Rhythm
Background
Mid-ground
, Foreground
Normally the focal point is not central to the painting unless for a good reason.
Viewpoints
Line
Balance
Perspective
Forms –
3D shapes created through tone
Light
Overlapping
objects to create interest in the composition
The key point to remember with composition is about variety -  just “don’t make any two things the same”

10. Annotating your work
Your work will be mounted in your sketchbook, in order, along with written explanations/notes (called annotations)
recording details of:
· What you took photographs of?
· Why?
· What you were hoping to achieve?
· How it relates to your exam question?
· How it has informed you (what you have learned from it)?
When you print out and mount your work, make sure you include contact sheets, and annotate directly onto prints if necessary (local exposure controls, varying crop, layouts and format etc…)
Visual mindmap
The best way to start a project in your sketchbook is to produce a visual brain storm. This is simple a double page of images, key words and annotations that set you on a path in response to the opening topic of the project. This should include some photos take by you, some photos from books/magazines/internet and some examples of how other famous photographers in the past have approached the same or a similar topic (remember to leave the front page spare for your TITLE PAGE this will enable you to write out the question you have chosen for your exam).
Project plan
It helps to produce a basic unit plan outlining:
· The theme of your response of the topic
· Photographers you are going to research to help inform the development of your ideas
· Methods and processes that you will use whilst producing your work

11. Sketchbook layout and content of Photographers research pages: Emulations
A good way of gaining an insight into a photographers’ way of working is to step into their shoes by trying to emmulate (recreate) some of their images. But before you do this you need to closely look at their work to try to work out how they did it (which lens, how it was lit? etc.) It is important that you clearly lay out your research in such a way that this method is clear as this is a good opportunity to receive some good marks under AO1. The simplest way is as follows:
1 Photographer Introduction
A brief introduction to the photographer, the style and nature of their work, the motives and influences and why you have chosen them in relation to the topic (what inspires you about their work).
Examples, using images you have found, of the type of work that inspires you
2 Image evaluation & recreation
A print out of an image of theirs evaluated using the guide described in
the next section and a recreation of the same image with edits and
annotations of how you achieved it.

12. Weekly planning sheet
WEEK
Classwork
Homework 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

13. Peer/Self assessment Date Review:
WWW – EBI – MRI - What needs to be done next?
Completed
PEER
SELF

14. Teacher feedback Date Advice and guidance
How to improve your work and get MORE marks 
Completed

15. ATTENDANCE is the key to a higher grade.
TARGET: be in school for every lesson 
ORGANISATION
Bring ALL your work sketchbook/portfolio to every lesson throughout the exam preparation time. Remember you can store work in school.
ADVICE and GUIDANCE
Ask for help if you are not sure what you should do next.
PLANNING
‘Failing to plan is planning to fail’
Good luck everyone!