Deadlines

AS Final Coursework Deadline: Tuesday 30th April 2013
You must hand in your coursework sketchbook and final piece during your lesson on Tuesday 30th April. THERE WILL BE NO EXTENSION BEYOND THIS DATE.


AS Sketchbook Contents: Monday 4th February 2013
Your must have points 1 - 10 of the sketchbook contents listed on the blog completed and in your sketchbook by the above date. You must hand in your completed sketchbook to date at the beginning of the first lesson you have, depending which group you are in, on the 4th or 5th February.

Photographers

Below is a list of photographers you might find useful in your research.

Steve Pyke
Sally Mann
David Bailey
Diana Arbus
Eugene Atget
Harry Borden
Paul Graham
Man Ray
Jane Bown
Julia Margaret Cameron
Cindy Sherman
Martin Parr
William Klein
Henri Cartier Bresson
Tina Modotti
Weegee
Dorothea Lange
Mari Mahr
Edward Steichen
Lee Miller
Nick Waplington
Richard Billingham
Leo Friedlander
Alfred Stieglitz
Brassai
Jo Spence
Angus Mcbean
Brian Duffy 

Image Analysis Guidance

Throughout the course not only will you need to complete detailed analyses of images taken by established photographers, you will have to analyze the images within your own portfolio of work. Use the following to help you structure any analysis you do:

1.    Write a brief introductory description of the image you are analysing: - ‘This image was taken by the well know photographer Cindy Sherman. It is a self-portrait of the photographer herself taken with a domestic environment’.

2.    Begin the analysis by identifying what you find most striking about the image. Say what it is that particularly makes it stand out for you.

3.    Talk about how the image is framed. Firstly, write about what is included within the camera frame (what you chose to go into the photo when looking through the view finder). Secondly, discuss how objects in the photo itself have been used to direct the viewer’s eye to specific points in the image.

4.    You will need to write about the composition of the photograph. Explain what is in the foreground, mid-ground and background and what impact they have on the image e.g. depth, confinement. This should lead on to depth of field.

5.    You need to discuss how much of the image is in focus. The more of the image that is in focus, the broader the depth of field. A narrow depth of field is when only a small portion of the image is in focus. Light levels directly affect depth of field. The more light the greater the depth of field and vice versa.

6.    You can talk about lighting in different ways – high contrast lighting (extremely dark shadows and really bright light), low contrast lighting (a greater range of tones that subtly change from light to dark) and the amount of warmth created in the photo by the use of colour and diffusion (orange sun set, cold diffusing mist).

7.    You must talk about the quality of the image you are analysing. The more light that is available when a photo is taken, the crisper the photo. Lines between shadow and light will be well defined, colours will be more saturated and the quality will be ‘extremely good. Lower light levels will result in a ‘grainy’ image with objects being less defined from the objects around them. The colours will also be desaturated.

8.    Shots and angles need also to be addressed. What size shot is used? What angle has the image been taken at? What meanings have been created through the use of these shots and angles.

AS Photography Exam Checklist

Date and location of Exam          

Monday 23^rd April

Room 24, Lowe Hill

What You Need To Bring To The Exam

1. You must have all the photos you plan to submit as a final piece at the end of the exam taken BEFORE the 23^rd of April. You have the option to take photos in the studio during the exam, but will not be allowed to take additional photos offsite on the 23^rd.

2. If you have chosen to use a sketchbook, you must bring this to the exam room.

3. You must bring with you to the exam the memory card and card reader you were asked to purchase at the start of the course. If there are any problems with the work during the exam you will at least have a back up.

4. You will be provided with the equipment to process and fix your work, but you need to supply the materials to mount your photography e.g. mounting card, presentation booklet, photo-paper. You do not need to buy adhesives or laminates.

5. You must ensure that, by the end of the exam, you have completed the following on your blog or in your sketchbook:

• ·      Brainstorm sheet
• ·      Explanation of initial idea
• ·      At least 10 research images with detailed analysis for each
• ·      Review of research, detailing what was useful, what wasn’t useful and how you will          use it to inform your experimentations
• ·      8-10 experimentation photos with detailed analysis for each
• ·      Review of experimentations, detailing what was useful, what wasn’t useful and how you will use it to inform your final piece
• ·      Brief plan of final piece, if required
• ·      Review of final piece and how it fulfils your intentions