Y13 A Level Photography

Personal Investigation 2020-21

You have 8 months to carry out preparation work including visuals and
notes to explain ideas and prove your knowledge & understanding.
At the end of 6/7 months you will work to complete a final piece which will
have been developed from the work you have studied, explored and
experimented with on your chosen theme.
Your work will be marked on how well you:

AO1: Develop ideas through investigating the work of others

Demonstrate analytical and cultural understanding.
AO2: Review, modify and refine ideas
Experiment with and select appropriate media, techniques and processes.
AO3: Record observations and ideas
AO4: Produce a personal finished final piece
Make connections with the work of your chosen artist(s)
Demonstrate analytical and critical understanding
 Y13 Photography Personal Investigation

This unit of work will be a Personal Investigation. It is your opportunity to explore

areas of the art world that interest and excite you. It will take the form of a
practical project based on an idea, theme, concept or issue of your own choice.
This will be supported by written material which links to and supports your chosen
focus. It must be based, at least in part, on primary sources.
As part of this unit of work you will have to complete a practical project and a
written reflection.

The Practical Project

The Practical Project should be an in-depth study where you will consolidate the
skills, knowledge and understanding gained throughout Y12. It must have a clear
focus and reflect your own personal interests and enthusiasms.
You must demonstrate an awareness of all four assessment objectives. There must
be a clear connection between your initial intentions and the final outcome or
outcomes. You must be able to research and develop ideas in a coherent way.
Your work must be based on some aspect of contemporary or past practice of
artists, designers or craftspeople.
The practical project is supported by written material. This will take the form of
either a written reflection or a personal study

Written Reflection
The Written Reflection should be 1000-3000 words long. It can take the form of a
report, journal or a series of statements included as part of the practical project.

The whole of your Personal Investigation should include the following:

• A personal journal of work recording ideas, influences, experiences
(sketchbook, sheets, diaries, journals, blogs, videos…)
• A final outcome/s
• The written piece or personal study
And should form the main part of:
• A portfolio of work including all of your best sketchbook, larger work and
final outcome/s
 Starting Points
Choosing a starting point: you must choose a starting point from the
selection given or devise your own in discussions with your teachers.
You must also select at least two artists to research either from the lists
given or your own research, related to your chosen starting point.
Think carefully about your skills, what are your strengths and what are
your weaknesses? This is the time to show off what you are best at as
well as try new things and be a little experimental!

Please look on our Pinterest boards for ideas on starting points you
could use.

Potential theme ideas…

• Images within images
• Unusual portraiture
• Challenging traditional representation
• Exploring landscape
• Storytelling
• Reflections
• The Photo Essay
• Photomontage
• Mixed-media
• Creative use of light
• New realities
• Documenting colour
• Multiple images
• Viewpoint & Composition
Really anything goes you just need to choose somewhere to begin!
 Producing the evidence…

MAY & JUNE

Summary: What you need to do
• Consider the areas that you may base your project on. Select your starting
point
h/w: Complete Pinterest task. Research and pin pictures to the theme you have
chosen
• Take photographs from direct observation
• Start to research around your theme. Use books as well as the internet and
visit the central library
• Continue to take photographs
• Use the time you have during the summer holidays to visit galleries and
carry out primary research into artists/photographers and
artwork/styles/genres
• Carry out initial research into artists/photographers- collect images/decide
who you like the look of/make brief notes
• Start to look into contacting artists/photographers and galleries personally

Explore the starting point (AO3)

Explore the question you have chosen

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: The Detail

!define the meaning of the starting point- (this is often just one or two simple
sentences)
!mind map your chosen theme- think of as many areas that relate to the theme
as possible. Identify areas/themes within the starting point you are most interested
by (make this clear on your research)
!create a visual mood board of themes you are inspired by- research and collect
imagery/make quick sketches to illustrate the possible direction of your project
!make a list of objects/imagery/scenes/subject you need to photograph that
relate to your chosen aspect of the question
 Visual research (AO3)
Recording in visual forms

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: The Detail

!take a series of photographs of the chosen aspect of your theme (at least 60
images)
!Print off your contact sheet and annotate images- make notes on composition,
quality, potential etc. Explain why, who, where you took the image and how they
relate to your theme.
!make extensive recordings of appropriate objects/subjects in a variety of
recording media (phone/video/disposable camera/film…) – show off your skill!
Always consider technique and composition wen taking your photos.
!Print off key images from your photoshoot bigger and present them in your
research explaining why/how they are appropriate and any potential for
development they may have based on your theme/artists etc.

JULY, AUGUST & SEPTEMBER

Summary: What you need to do
• Continue observational recording
• Research chosen three artists/photographers in detail
• Combine artist research and primary observation to experiment with
materials, techniques and processes
• Consider the potential purpose of your photography/imagery and
research examples of your chosen purpose

Artist Research and Analysis (AO1)

Create thorough research pages on your three chosen artists

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: The Detail

!research information about your chosen artists/photographer using the visual
literacy sheet to add notes about the visual characteristics of their work-
remember to use the visual characteristics as keywords on your page
!collect visual examples of your artists/photographers work- include
recreations/work in the style of some of their work as well as just print images
!choose three pieces of your artist’s/photographers work to analyse in detail:
composition, photographic genre, style, materials, processes, colour etc. using the
visual literacy sheet- make sure your analysis is visual too by adding close up
copied sections in detail and colour
!choose a piece of your artist’s/photographers work to copy using appropriate
materials/techniques to recreate in detail (if photography show how you made
through screen shots)
!create a more original recreation using your own imagery but in the
style/materials/technique of the artist/photographer
!Create a mind-map/mood board to represent examples of the way your
imagery would be utilised- the ultimate purpose and context for your imagery.
Explain the reasons for your selection of this function and how you intend to fulfil
this.
 Photography in Context
Choosing a purpose and application for your imagery
• Magazine spread/cover
• Advertising posters/materials- any product
• Website (backgrounds/graphics/items for selling)
• Graphics/design
• Book Illustration
• Theatre/stage backdrops
• Album/band promotion
• Fashion
• Fine art
• TV /film titles/credits
• Decorative surface pattern- greetings cards, wrapping
paper, bags, boxes, ceramics, fabric etc.
• Documentary/Journalism- reporting the news

OCTOBER
Summary: What you need to do
• State your intentions
• Develop design ideas
• Try out a range of materials and techniques

Development (AO1 and AO2)

Develop design ideas based upon your knowledge.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: The Detail
!State your intentions, explain what you are going to produce and for what
purpose, what elements of your research are the main inspirations and how are you
going to employ/experiment with them to resolve the project.
! Based on your artist’s/photographers work create at least THREE initial designs
!Try out a range of materials and techniques including trials of the ideas you have
developed to explore what works and what doesn’t. Make sure that you annotate
the trials- how do they relate to your theme/photographer? How have you created
them and what works/what doesn’t? Record this process and decision making in
your sketchbook.
 NOVEMBER, DECEMBER &
JANUARY
Summary: What you need to do
• Use the research that you have done so far to come up with a developed
design/compositions
• Produce a detailed final design, including annotation. Make sure that you
reference your artist’s work
• Make a mock-up of your final design in your chosen medium/techniques
• Making of final piece
• Add an evaluation
• Take a photograph of your final piece and add to your book/boards,
describing any changes between your design and the finished piece.
• Print off/upload selected portfolio images and mount/present

Final Designs and Outcomes (AO2 and AO4)

Final design and final piece construction/making
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: The Detail
!Use your research and designs so far to come up with a developed design
based on the themes you have selected from the starting point and your chosen
artist’s/photographers work.
!Carefully annotate your design.
! Produce a detailed final design: exactly what your piece will look like. Add
notes to explain what you’re doing step by step and in particular explain how your
work connects to your artist’s work.
! make a mock-up of your final design in your chosen medium/techniques

!Make the final piece- record your process by adding versions of the image as it
is completed and adding screen shots- if you are working in the darkroom
remember to include test strips and information on exposure times aperture
settings etc.
!Add and evaluation. Take a photograph or add a small image of your final
piece to your book and describe any changes between your final design and the
finished piece, explaining the reasons for these changes and how your work links
to the artist/photographer

!Mount final imagery/construct in situ/3D model/edit video etc...

!Select a series of your most successful images from any part of this project to
print off and mount in your portfolio book or upload to your blog/website- select
Remember that 75% of the marks are in the preparation
work and if you are properly prepared the controlled
time should be relatively stress free!

TIPS:
• Plan out your sketchbook- know what is going on
each page
• Type titles up, save time on drawing them out- use
free font websites to find some unique fonts!
• Try to minimise timewasting by painting
backgrounds- use dry materials instead e.g. cut torn
paper, wrapping paper, coloured papers, chalk
pastel- (avoid oil pastel for backgrounds as they are
messy!)
• Avoid double mounting images in sketchbooks
• Write only in pencil so that mistakes can easily be
rectified
• Ask for help if you are stuck or struggling!
• Email us if you need help/advice
Sketchbook/Slide Plan
 Stating your intentions

Stating your Intentions

This is how you are planning on responding to the given theme or stimulus. For this
you need to explain what it is you want to do and underpin it by referencing the
artist/photographers you have studied and who have influenced you and how
that might impact on what you are going to create/develop ideas towards… you
may also have an additional theme or subject to consider also dependent upon
how open the original starting point is.

You need to identify the following:

1. How you have been influenced by the starting point what elements of the
theme or subject interest you most (technique or subject...?)

2. You will need to clarify your chosen subject matter and how this relates to
the original starting point in the way you intend to develop it

3. For each artist/photographer/contextual reference- you will need to identify

areas of specific interest to you and how this might affect the way your work
develops (this will probably relate to style, technique or concept)

In order to present this effectively and without the need of writing a paragraph
you could present your thinking in a spider diagram, use images to illustrate the
artists’ work, or specific techniques or subject matter- this needs to be no more
than one page but try to make the page visual.

You must remember that your intentions are not your composition ideas but you
merely identifying from your research the things that most interest and influence
you and what you might potentially do, they will also give you a starting point from
which to start further exploration/experimentation with techniques and ideas and
other potential foci for additional photo-shoots- you will develop all of your
composition ideas after you have taken all of your photos and explored ideas and
techniques- simply put you can design/decide anything until you know what works
or what doesn’t- your intentions are the starting point of this section of your
development!
 The Written Reflection- Getting Started

Deadlines

First draft:
Revised draft:
Final draft:

The written element to the course must be 1000-3000 words in length. If choosing
to reflect on your practical project the content of the document must focus on
the following:

• Insights to your intention- what is the brief? What were your ideas? What
theme/concept was your focus? What kind of piece of artwork did you want
to make? What impact did you intend for it to have on the viewers?
• Description of your influences- which artists have inspired you? How? Why?
Clear analysis of artists' work to demonstrate the depth of your understanding
(use the visual literacy sheet- how and what). This is where you talk
specifically about photographic techniques. What limitations were you
working within? Were they imposed by the brief or self-imposed?
• Your decision making- what decisions did you make and why? How/did you
change the direction of your work at any point? Why?
• Evaluation of the final work- How successful is it? Does it meet your
expectations? What are the viewers’ responses? Do the viewers understand
the message you are trying to send or the dialogue you are trying to engage
them in?
• Bibliography- Your work must include a bibliography of referenced sources
of information, images etc.
Tips:
• Try not to waffle- keep it clear and succinct (1000 words minimum- that is only about 2 sides of A4!)
• Remember that you must assume you are writing it for anyone to understand- you cannot take it for
granted that the moderator knows this project!
• Structure it as above- start with explaining the brief and your initial thoughts and responses
• Add imagery to support your essay (example of artists/photographers work and your own work in
progress/final piece)
• Ensure you spell key terminology accurately (spell check!)
• Use the annotation and explanation you have done in your sketch book/preparatory work- you do not
have to start from scratch. You are just formalising your annotation in essay form.
• It must be typed! It needs to be clear for the moderator to read. So keep it relatively plain and simple
format wise.

You can email your work to us for checking and support/questions at any time on:
rheaton@roundhayschool.com
igoodchild@roundhayschool.com