Photography

Exam Board: Edexcel

The GCSE photography course is divided into two main components:

Personal Portfolio (60%)

Students will work from a theme and use technical camera skills alongside creative thinking skills to create a unique body of work.

You will choose at least one of the following areas to explore in relation to your theme:

• Documentary photography
• Photo-journalism
• Studio photography
• Location photography
• Experimental imagery
• Moving image – film, video and animation

Your work will include (but not be limited to) studies of photographers’ work, planning of photoshoots, your own photography, editing on Photoshop, analysis and evaluation of your work, and a final piece.

There is a strong written element to this course so you will spend a lot of time working on a computer and writing. Please be prepared for this!

Externally-Set Assignment (40%)

The exam paper for the Externally-Set Assignment will be released in January of Year 11. You will have a choice of themes as listed on the exam paper and will create another body of work exploring your chosen theme.

After you have created a strong body of preparatory work you will be prepared to sit your 10 hour exam. In this exam you will complete a ‘final piece’ of your own design, which you will have prepared for prior to the exam.

In each of these components you will be required to meet the following assessment objectives:

• AO1: Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources.
• AO2: Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes.
• AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses.
• AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language.

Assessment

Personal Portfolio: 60% weighting of the overall grade

Externally-Set Assignment: 40% weighting of the overall grade. This includes a 10-hour exam at the end of the course, taking place over two full days.