Photography has been an important medium for documenting our lives since 1826. Over the years the methods and equipment has continued to evolve and through doing so adapted to the needs and situations of the 21st century. Today we stand in the era of digital photography. From capturing personal moments on our mobile phones to using high-end DSLR cameras, photography is an important skill that we all use and need when documenting our lives and the world in which we live.
Photography used to be an expensive hobby, tallying camera, film and developing costs.
With the advent of smartphones, it’s even more empowering to take a crack at shooting our own images. We can snap as many shots as we want and delete as we like without the pressure to turn out professional-looking images. We can use photos to express ourselves and communicate with one another. Sharing our favourite photos has become effortless in the digital age, from uploading to social media, to creating albums for print, they’re simple to share in both digital and traditional ways.
Our photographs share so much about who we are as individuals: what we find beautiful, fascinating, funny, delicious, important, inspiring. They allow us to showcase our personal style, interests, relationships, and adventures, to mark the passage of time. Photo-journaling our major life events is essential, but capturing the daily and mundane has equal importance. The little things that make us stop and stare give much more insight into the kind of humans we are than yet another image of the Eiffel Tower or a waterfall in Hawaii.
Photographs evoke nostalgia. They serve as a chronicle of our lives, where we’ve been, what we’ve done, who we were. They tell the story that we don’t always speak. They’re the legacy we leave behind for our children, offering a way to share our stories with generations to come.
AO1: Develop ideas that are informed by investigative, contextual and cultural studies of historical and contemporary photography and lens-based imagery.
AO2: Refine and reflect upon work as it progresses by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with an appropriate photographic media and processes.
AO3: Gather, select, organise and communicate information that is relevant to their personal interests as a consequence of careful research and analysis.
AO4: Present personal, imaginative final outcomes, together with selective evidence of thinking and production processes, realising the student’s intention or design.
The ICT Department has access to a wealth of resources for the delivery of GCSE Photography, including Canon DSLR cameras completed with a number of lenses and filters.
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