Photography

Lens & Light based media

Start
Date:

Week Beginning 2nd November 2015

Deadline:

Week Beginning 30th November 2015

Project
Length:

Weeks 4

Name:

Martin Parr

Portfolio: Narrative
Your portfolio will be made up of a combination of experimental work and coursework tasks and will be
assessed as below.

Assessment Schedule

25%
25%
25%
25%

Contextual Understanding Showing that you understand modern and historical uses of photography
Creative Making Using a range of methods and ideas to develop images and test new techniques
Reflective recording Use images and text in a personal and imaginative way to show your ideas
Personal Presentation Use a range of techniques to express ideas through photography in an individual way.

To ensure that you meet all the assessment criteria, your first year will be split into several projects to explore
different techniques and skills within photography
A final personal investigation will run over the summer and autumn terms to complete your coursework and you
are expected to submit a PORTFOLIO of work from ALL of the projects after Christmas in your second year.
Your completed portfolio is worth 60% of your final A-Level grade.

http://grobyphotography.weebly.com/documentary.html

Narrative: a spoken or written account of connected events; a story

A narrative is an account of connected events. To think about narrative, however,

involves more than reflecting on how a series of events become connected. We also
need to think about how something is constituted as an event in the first place.
Events are not found objects waiting to be discovered.
https://www.david-campbell.org/2010/11/18/photography-and-narrative/

Images that tell the story or document the life of people could be seen to tell a story
as well as photo-journalists who document war, wildlife and travel. Think of the
images in the national geographic or the old life magazines.
Lots of photographers who work for newspapers or magazines produce photo
essays. Many of these photographers present their work in this website:
http://www.magnumphotos.com/

Types of Narrative Photography:

Observed photographing someone/something doing an everyday task, unaware of the camera
Social Realism Snapshot approach, recording intimate and private moments

Key Techniques:
Perspective

This can enhance the three dimensional depth within an image. Perspective can also be used to

direct the viewers eye through the image.

Angle of View

Using a variety of angles can enhance perspective and the 3D quality of your subject

Framing

Make sure you get close enough to your subject matter and use your viewfinder to carefully frame
and select what you want to photograph.

Natural Apertures

Sometimes called a frame within a frame. This is where part of the composition is used to frame and
enhance the subject.

Shallow Depth of Field

You can use a large aperture small (f) number i.e. f2.8/f3.5 to focus on the foreground so only the
foreground is sharp and the background is out of focus.

Large Depth of Field

You can use a small aperture large (f) number i.e. f16/ f22 so that the fore, mid and background are
all in focus.

Fast Shutter Speed

Shutter speed is the length of time the shutter remains open. Shutter speed is also referred to as
exposure time. The Shutter speed is measured in seconds and fractions of seconds

Artists:
Martin Parr
Steve McCurry
Stephen Shore

Richard Billingham
Fay Godwin
Andreas Gursky

Vivian Maier
Lewis Baltz
Walker Evans
W. Eugene Smith

Portfolio: Assessment Criteria

Assessment criteria:

Range of evidence needed:

AO1
25%

Develop ideas through sustained and

focused investigations informed by
contextual and other sources,
demonstrating analytical and critical
understanding.

Wide ranging research into the work of photographers

and artists analyzed in relation to the development of your
own project.
A varied range of primary and secondary research.
Consistent sketchbook annotation linking your work with
the work of others you have researched.
Experimentation with a range of photographic techniques
that is documented methodically in your sketchbook.

AO2
25%

Explore and select appropriate resources,

media, materials, techniques and
processes, reviewing and refining ideas as
work develops.

Examples of best experimentation presented on a board to

show the journey of how you have developed your ideas.
Consistent annotation in your sketchbook that analysis the
strengths & weakness of your experimentation in relation
to your project ideas and development.
Extensive recording of your ideas and subject matter using
digital processes, supported by other photographic
methods if appropriate.

AO3
25%

Record ideas, observations and insights

relevant to intentions, reflecting critically
on work and progress.

Demonstration of high-level technical skills in taking and

producing photographs using digital processes.
Examples of best observational photographs presented on
a board to show the journey of how you have developed
your ideas.
Evaluation and annotation of ALL photo-shoots with
contact sheets in sketchbook to show the extent of your
recording.

AO4
25%

Present a personal and meaningful

response that realises intentions and,
where appropriate, makes connections
between visual and other elements.

Consistent annotation in your sketchbook that explains

and evaluates your personal ideas in response to the brief.

Regular explanation of the underlying ideas, photographic

concepts, meanings and thoughts behind your work.

Development of a personal interpretation of the project

brief through your practical work.

Best quality presentation of a personal response to the

brief in a final selection of work or piece.

SKETCHBOOK WORK
You should continuously collect visual information in the form of sketches, postcards, pages
from magazines, tickets to exhibitions, photographs, found objects, and anything else
appropriate.

Narrative
GUIDE SHEET
Activities

Use this space to describe what you have done to

personalise each point use purple ink or type
please!

HW

Wk3

Feelings and Emotion

Think about different ways of conveying
emotion, this can be through colour,
lighting location, pose or capturing
event.
Produce a range of shoots which show
emotion in some way. Try to use the
techniques you have developed over
the last projects.
You can use location or portraiture in
your images.
Ensure that the shoots you have
produced are thoroughly documented.
Link the work you have produced to
the work of others showing that you
have considered the techniques others
have used.

Place and Time

Wk4

Think about the meaning different

locations have and plan shoots to show
this meaning through a series of images.
How do things change over time? Plan a
shoot which shows how something or
someone has changed over time and
consider the best way of presenting
this.

Assessment Point 3 Work will be assessed together with the next project
Presentation of Outcomes

HW

AO3 - REFLECTIVE RECORDING 25%

Wk2

AO1 - CONTEXTUAL UNDERSTANDING 25%

Consider the links between people and

their passions. Think of some people
you know and document their passions
with photographs.
You could create portraits or think
about the objects, tools or things that
people make as part of a hobby and
think about how to document these
using location or studio photography.
Produce a range of shoots showing that
you have experimented with a range of
ideas.

AO4 PERSONAL PRESENTATION

Objects and People

AO2 - CREATIVE MAKING 25%

Wk 1

Photography, Lens & Light based media

DEADLINE: Week Beginning 30th November 2015

Print outcomes in an appropriate

format based on the work of
photographers you have researched.
Consider the type of paper, the size
and the framing, discuss this through a
final evaluation of your outcomes.
Look at the use of narrative and story
in photography.
Find some photographers who interest
you and use the idea or time, story or
sequences