AS/A Level Art and Design Photography

AS/A LEVEL ART AND DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHY

WHAT IS PHOTOGRAPHY?
Photography is a visual media that can document a moment in time. It can be used to communicate an idea or make a visual statement. In lots of ways it can be related to Fine Art and be as creative and experimental as a painting. Alternatively, it can be associated with advertising, the media and design.

WHY SHOULD I STUDY PHOTOGRAPHY?
If you enjoy working with visual images and particularly enjoy taking photographs, then Photography is the course for you. Photography is a very hands-on practical course and can be very rewarding to study.

USEFUL SKILLS & INTERESTS
You should have a keen interest in photography and an interest in the visual arts generally. You should enjoy visiting galleries to see photography exhibitions. You should also enjoy being creative; as much of the course will require you to approach photography in an experimental and imaginative way.

COURSE STRUCTURE & CONTENT
During the AS course you will explore many areas of photography. You will be taught how to use an SLR camera and you will learn how to develop your own negatives. You will work with Black and White processes in the darkroom and you will be introduced to Photoshop and digital manipulation. You will learn to view photography as a form of visual language and you will increasingly direct and manipulate images in order to communicate your own personal ideas. The emphasis will be on the Art & Design approach to photography; it will not be treated as a purely technical subject, though those areas will not be neglected.

Throughout the course you will study themes and photographers from the history of photography. You will also be introduced to a whole variety of photographers from the contemporary period. You will be expected to make notes and analyse photographs which relate to your projects.

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?
All your work will be assessed by your subject tutor. At different times during the course you will be asked to hand in your work so that your progress can be monitored. You will receive feedback from your tutor, advising you on what to do to improve your grade. At the end on each topic you will submit your work for final assessment.

The AS course is made up of two units. Unit one is your portfolio unit and here you will submit a folder of work for assessment. Unit two is externally set so you are given an exam paper with different projects to choose from. Following an initial period of preparation time in lessons, you will have a 5 hour exam which will focus on development work. You will then start a second period of preparation for this unit, the aim is that you will work to realise your ideas into a final piece. There is no revision as all the work is practical.

COURSE COMMITMENT
We expect our students to be well motivated and enthusiastic. You must attend all lessons and never book holidays in term time as this can seriously affect your overall grade. Each week you will be given a homework task which will underpin and reinforce ideas explored in lessons. You will be expected to spend 4 hours on homework tasks each week. In addition to your lessons you will have access to the Art and Design studios in Workshop time as well as in your Personal Study Periods.

COURSE COSTS
Art and Design can be an expensive subject to study. At Prior Pursglove College you will be given lots of materials free of charge, including materials such as charcoal and pastels, acrylic paint, oil paint, water based and oil based printing inks, paper, photographic chemicals, sewing threads, calico, silk, batik wax, fabric dyes and inks. We ask students to contribute 35 towards the cost of materials as you begin your course in September, this enables us to cover some of the costs of the materials we supply to you. You will also have free access to SLR and digital cameras, computers, sewing machines, darkroom equipment and printing facilities.

PROGRESSION ROUTES
A lot of photography students go on to do a foundation year or you can apply directly to University to study Photography. There are a number of career options that can come from doing a photography qualification including journalism, fashion, medical and forensic photography. Photography is a very competitive career; therefore many photographers support themselves through teaching and lecturing. Photographers can also undertake residencies; this involves the photographer working in the community with organisations or teaching workshops.