A-Level Photography – Essential Photography Skills to meet the Higher Grade Boundaries – “The Cog Wheel Approach”

Course Code: T0200 £249.00£289.00

ABOUT THIS COURSE

Many A-level Photography students do not reach their potential grades due to higher grade boundaries than other Art & Design titles. This revised course tackles the lack of photographic approaches missing in national entries which tend to favour image capture and image manipulation. Through hands on workshops, we will explore how students must demonstrate both aesthetic and technical considerations in their work. Using aperture, shutter speed, depth of field & ISO, i.e. Camera Craft, we will explore ‘off the shelf’ teaching strategies which respond successfully through skill-based activities exploiting contextual sources in an analytical and critical manner. This course will put you in the ‘shoes’ of your students, take you by the hand and provide you with essential skills and ideas for teaching and learning practice across both components for A-Level Photography. Please have a digital SLR camera or bridge camera, fully charged with a memory card during the online course and face to face course. 

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

  • Enable your students to meet the higher grade boundaries in this title
  • Teach your students to use an SLR or bridge camera with skill and confidence
  • Employ camera functions manually and creatively
  • Utilise skills and techniques to respond to starting points in an informed way
  • Focus on ‘intent’ when planning for photography
  • Reach the top mark band or A* by extended thinking within your students photography work
You must bring a digital SLR camera or bridge camera, fully charged with a memory card.

PROGRAMME

Why are there higher grade boundaries for Photography and how can students achieve them?

10.00am Exploring Exposure Workshop Pt 1
  • Examine the uses of Photography
  • Technical and Aesthetic
  • Importance of ‘Intent’ and planning
  • Genres and contextual references Composition practical workshop - “50 Steps” Getting to know your camera.

Break

11.15am

Working manually with your Digital SLR - Component 1 Portfolio/Personal Investigation

11.30am
  • Aperture override - building confidence with camera control
  • Using shutter speed creatively - “Cog Wheel Approach”
  •  Importance of recording to raise attainment
  • Exploring Exposure Workshop Pt 2
  • Technical considerations with ISO & white balance - “The Bucket Theory”

Lunch

12.30pm

Responding to a Theme - Component 2, The Externally Set Assignment

1.15pm
  • Let’s get creative! - Inspirational workshop based on informed responses to:
  • Contextual references
  • Genres
  • Areas of study within Photography (Lens-based and Light-based media)
  • Show & Share

Break

2.15pm

Building intent and extending thinking - Reaching for A*

2.30pm
  • Higher level thinking strategies
  • Appropriate intentions
  • Meaningful explorations
  • Personal responses
  • Building a scheme of work
  • Sequence of operations vital for a successful Photography course Production quality
  • Important factors, the “Must Have’s”
  • Documenting “The Journey” for assessment success

Depart

3.30pm
A-Level - Code: T0200

A-Level Photography – Essential Photography Skills to meet the Higher Grade Boundaries – “The Cog Wheel Approach”

COURSE LEADER

Mark Coombe is an experienced Art & Design teacher of 25 years who has taught all areas of Art & Design. He is renowned as a CPD leader, trainer and presenter across all disciplines of Art & Design. He is a practising artist, in particular in animal portraiture – livestock & rare breeds – and his current portfolio is supplying The National Trust in Norfolk, Suffolk and other regions.

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