GCSE Photography Handbook
During the Photography course, you will learn about various technical aspects involved in taking photographs, how to use Photoshop and refine and experiment with your images and learn about different genres within photography. You will develop a strong folder of images and ideas along with a journal for exploring the work of a broad range of photographers.
Consider presentation at all times, take pride in your work and present your images and writing in a clear and concise manner.
Getting to Know Your Camera
Menu Button Settings Symbols to know
What is an SLR?
An SLR is a type of camera with one lens which is used both for viewing and for taking the picture. A mirror inside the camera reflects the image up into the viewfinder. When the picture is taken, this mirror moves out of the way- allowing the light entering the lens to travel directly to the sensor.
Generally speaking, image quality is better with SLR cameras compared to compact cameras. You also have more control over your images in terms of camera settings, choice of lenses etc.
Looking After Your Camera
Always place a lens cap over the lens after using the camera Never leave the camera mirror exposed, always cover with either a lens or a body cap When changing lenses, do so quickly to avoid any dust getting inside the camera Only clean the lens with a clean, dry, camera cloth You can use an air blower to clean dust off of the lens and camera Mirrors and sensors should be cleaned professionally Avoid touching the lens or any internal part of the camera- even your finger prints can cause damage! Keep your camera in a suitable padded bag when it is not in use
Composition
Rule of Thirds -Divide your image with 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines, equally spaced to create 9 segments. -Position the most important elements along these lines or where the lines intersect (these points are called hot spots).
Balancing Elements -Placing the main subject in the picture off centre (as with the rule of thirds) makes for a more interesting photo BUT it can create a bit of a void making the ‘scene’ feel more empty. A way around this is to add a subject into the image of less importance.
Leading Lines -When we look at a photo, we seek lines which draw us around the image. By thinking about where you place your lines, you can pull your audience into your image; making them travel around the scene. -You have a huge choice of types of line you use: straight, diagonal, curvy, zigzag, radial etc.
Symmetry and Patterns -We are surrounded by symmetry and patterns which range through natural and man-made states. These can make for eye-catching compositions when you least expect it. Using symmetry and pattern can help us pay attention and be drawn towards the focal point; helping to provide mood and interest.
Viewpoint -Take time to think about where you are shooting your photograph from. How you identify your viewpoint can greatly affect the narrative you create. Rather than simply staying at eye level, think about taking a photo from a bird’s eye view (above the subject looking down), a worm’s eye view (below the subject looking up) or through (shooting through something, like a fence or window).
Background -It’s important to think about the background of your shot. If it is too busy, it’ll detract the viewer away from your main subject. The camera flattens the background and foreground together- it is only the human eye that is clever enough to distinguish between the two. -To amend this, when you are lining up a shot, scan the space to locate a ‘plain’ background which won’t distract the viewer from the subject.
Depth -Because a photograph is 2D, we need to consider composition to convey a sense of depth. You can support your photo by including objects in the foreground, middle ground and background. -Another technique is to overlap, obscuring one object with another. The human eye naturally recognises layers and spreads them out- enhancing depth.
Framing -Nature is full of perfect frames; trees, archways, holes, tunnels. By placing these around the edge of your image, you help to isolate the main subject from the outside world. -As a result of your frame, you create a more focussed image whereby your eye is naturally drawn to the centre; helping you to tell the story.
Cropping -Often a photo’s focal point (main subject) can lose power as if it is small, it is lost in the clutter of the surroundings. By cropping it tighter, you remove surrounding ‘noise’, ensuring the focus remains. You can crop your image to be perfect in Photoshop, but you should still consider the crop as you take the photo.
Experimentation Modern day cameras tend to have SD cards, capable of storing hundreds of photos at a time. With this in mind, take the opportunity to explore, play, try new things and you will find a composition that is successful for the shot you are trying to take.
Photographic Glossary- Key Terms Shoot Planning- Things to Consider
Location Time/ Date Lighting (Natural/ Artificial- set up) Models/ Props Camera Settings (approximates) Composition (Plan out how you will take the photo- focal point, viewpoint, background)
Try to include small sketches or diagrams, as well as selected images from past shoots or chosen photographers/ artists (where appropriate) to show your thought process and idea development.
Remember to always have a Plan B if you are relying on a variable such as the weather or a specific type of lighting!
Studio Set Up Plans
If you are doing a studio shoot, remember to plan out your set-up. Where will the lighting be? What colour backdrop will you use? Draw out a sketch to show the examiner. Remember to include the model (even if it’s a stick man), lights, where the camera will be positioned and the backdrop.
Annotating your Contact Sheet
RED Box ORANGE Box GREEN Box In your orange box on your In your red box on your In your green box on your contact sheet, you should discuss contact sheet, you should contact sheet, you should areas for improvement for the discuss what didn’t work so discuss the parts of the shoot shoot. Maybe the shoot, in well in the shoot. What wasn’t that were successful. What are general, was a bit too dark or the successful? Why? you pleased with? What went focus wasn’t quite right. Explain Avoid using words like ‘bad’ or to plan? Maybe you portrayed how you know this and what you ‘rubbish’. Go for ‘unsuccessful’ the narrative well or the would do to improve this/ avoid it or ‘room for improvement’. lighting looked interesting. happening again.
You can also put green boxes around the photos that you decide to Photoshop. These should be strong images from the shoot that you know could be even better if you edit them in Photoshop.
You can put an orange box around a photo to demonstrate how you might improve it through cropping. Perhaps cropping it would bring in the rule of thirds or get rid of a distracting part of the image.
Analysing Your Shots
With this shot I was aiming to……… The lighting and the angle were chosen because……… I was inspired by the lighting of……. (photographer)……. My shots were trying to capture the style of…….(photographer)…. I did this by…… This particular shot was (or was not) successful because……… I could improve this image by………. If I did a reshoot, I would……… The settings on my camera for this shot was……….. For a better shot, I might try…... because………. (suggest adjusted camera settings) Analysing Photographers/ Artists
Paragraph 1- Write WHY you are particularly interested in/ inspired by this photographer.
Example: Martin Parr is a British photographer who focusses on the idea of ‘britishness’ in his photography. He mostly photographs in a documentary style. I am really interested in Parr’s work as I find his use of colour and candid style really inspiring.
Paragraph 2- Discuss how the work links to your project.
Example: Martin Parr’s work links to my project as I am focusing on the use of bold colours in photography. I also would like to shoot in a documentary style genre, and I will be taking my photos in Britain. The narrative of my images will focus around the idea of British values, which is similar to the narrative that is clear in most of Parr’s work.
Paragraph 3- Analyse some of the photographer’s images- spot the similarities between their images. Use the deconstructing an image worksheet to help you if necessary. Remember to include the images you look at on your PowerPoints.
Example: I have noticed that a lot of Parr’s images are taken using a fast shutter speed to freeze motion. He usually shoots outdoors, using natural light and occasionally using a ring light for even bolder colours. His ISO is probably quite low. Parr often uses the rule of thirds and therefore his photos have an interesting composition.
Key technical words to use (you must use some of these in EVERY artist analysis):
Light Composition Technique Natural/ Artificial? Rule of thirds Shutter speed- fast or slow?
Set up? If so, where are the Leading Lines Depth of field- shallow or lights positioned? deep? Warm, cool or neutral? Layers (Foreground, Middle, Has the image been photo Background) shopped? Hard or soft? Viewpoint White balance Shadows/ lens flares/ Colour or black and white ISO silhouettes? Contrast? Texture Pattern
Deconstructing a Photograph
Paragraph 1- COMPOSITION What is the focal point? How has the photographer created the focal point? Has the photographer created a narrative/ mood within the composition? If so, how? Things to consider: Rule of thirds Leading lines Layers (foreground, middle ground, background) Viewpoint (worms eye, birds eye, through, eye level) Colour/ black and white/ pattern /shape/ texture
Paragraph 2- LIGHT Describe the lighting used by the photographer Does the photographer use light to direct you to a particular part of the image? Where is the light coming from? Does the use of light create a particular mood or atmosphere? If so, how? Things to consider: Natural/ artificial light Set up light Warm, cool or neutral Hard or soft Shadows/ lens flares/ silhouettes/ contrast
Paragraph 3- TECHNIQUE Describe the technical aspects of the photograph e.g. shutter speed/ depth of field/ ISO etc. Why has the photographer used these settings? What effect do these settings have on the image? Describe any other techniques the photographer has used. For example: Photoshop manipulation. Explain the impact these techniques have on the image Things to consider: Shutter speed Depth of field Photoshop/ Darkroom techniques White balance ISO
Photoshop Basics Cropping Hit C on your keyboard to bring up the crop option or select it from the side bar You can resize your image to remove anything from the edges and also straighten the image using this tool
Straightening As before, hit C on the keyboard to bring up the Crop and Straighten option Do not straighten your image so much that you lose a large part of the photo, this should be a minor adjustment
General Rules for Cropping and Straightening ■ WITH CROPPING: Never crop into any shape other than a rectangle (like you would see a printed photo) or a square. ■ WITH CROPPING: Never crop out any part of the focal point (unless this is a deliberate part of the photo). ■ WITH STRAIGHTENING: It is especially important to straighten your photo if there are lines in it, such as a horizon or a road. Pick a ‘line’ out from the photo and straighten it using the grid that pops up on the crop and straighten tool on Photoshop.
Transform your image Hold down CTRL + T (or cmd + T on a Mac) to ‘transform’ your image. This means you can rotate or resize it. Minor Adjustments (Brightness/ Contrast/ Warmth/ Hue) Go to Image – Adjustments to find these tools You can play around with Brightness and Contrast until the image looks better BUT know when to stop Don’t go too dark or too bright You can also add warmth or cool tones to the image by clicking on Hue/ Saturation. This can help set the scene for the viewer more, which can improve the narrative. A happy narrative would have warm tones like red and orange, whereas a sad or eery narrative might have blue or grey tones.
Your photo should still look natural- don’t adjust the brightness or contrast so much that you lose details! Avoid making colours so bright that they no longer look real.
Blemish Fixes/ General Touch Ups/ Removing Distracting Features- Selection Tools The main tool you should use is the Spot Healing Brush Tool- simply brush over small areas of your photo and Photoshop will try to make that part of the image ‘perfect’. You can also use the Quick Selection Tool for larger areas. Select around your object as accurately as you can, remember to use the plus and minus tools to correct anything that goes wrong. Finally, click Select and Mask and adjust the Radius for the most accurate possible selection Layers Layers allow you to choose the order in which images display and let you keep parts of your project separate and more accessible. Learn how to work using layers, keeping parts of your project organised in a logical hierarchy. Learn how to toggle layer visibility (opacity) and editability using the eyeball and lock icons. Also learn how to duplicate, merge and group layers with the Layers Menu or by right clicking on selected layers.
Photoshop Toolbar Key
As you become more familiar with Photoshop, you will be able to use more tools confidently. However, it’s useful to know where everything is!
Photoshop Annotations
You should take screenshots of your Photoshop process and add these to your PowerPoint. You must annotate the screenshots, explaining: What you did Why you did it The effect it had on the photograph- how was it improved?
Every time you do a step on Photoshop, you should screenshot it! Ensure you include as much of the screen as you need to show your working. Your PowerPoint, as always, should be clear and concise- so feel free to put your screenshots across several slides. As a general rule, you should aim to Photoshop 2-3 images from each shoot.
Having a ‘Before and After’ slide is optional but it’s a great (and simple) way to show visually how you have improved your image!
Photographers Names
Abstract/ Still Life Documentary Fashion Harold Edgerton Henri Cartier-Bresson Richard Avedon William Eggleston Robert Frank Terence Donovan Ernst Haas Elliott Erwitt Hiro Richard Heaps Richard Billingham Horst P Horst Andre Kertsz Lewis Hine Nick Knight Robert Mapplethorpe Chris Killip Helmut Newton Martin Parr Dorothea Lange Norman Paul Strand Mary Ellen Mark Parkinson Edward Weston Don McCullin Irving Penn Minor White Martin Parr Rankin Wolfgang Tillmans Angus McBean Mario Testino Lee Millar David Bailey Sebastian Sagaldo W Eugene Smith Landscape/ Cityscape Andreas Gursky Ansel Adams Portrait Nan Goldin Nature Robert Adams Diane Arbus Heather Angel Bill Brandt Eve Arnold Karl Blossfeldt John Davies Jane Brown Paul Caponigro Lee Friedlander Julia Margaret David Doubilet Fay Goodwin Cameron Andy Goldsworthy Joel Meyerowitz Nan Goldin Eric Hoskings Simon Norfolk Annie Leibovitz Franz Lanting Herbert Ponting Arnold Newman National Stephen Shore August Sander Geographic Andreas Gursky Cindy Sherman Photographers Matt Stuart Chris Packham Gillian Wearing Donald Tipton Experimental Architectural Herbert Bayer Eugene Aget John Heartfield Bernice Abbott David Hockney Lewis Baltz Barbara Kruger Bernd and Hilla Alvin Langdon Coburn Becher Man Ray Walker Evans Duane Michals Francis Frith Laslo Monholy-Nagy Andreas Gursky Jerry Uelsmann Horst Hamann on the Photography Drive Julie Cockburn Alfred Stieglitz under resources! Maurizio Anzeri Edexcel Mark Scheme
You are marked out of 18 in x4 Assessment Objectives (Develop, Record, Refine and Present) for both the Personal Project and the Exam unit. Here you can see a description of what we would expect to see in each grade band. The marks are added together and a total is given out of 72.
2019 Grade Boundaries (by total marks): Grade 9- 59 Grade 8- 54 Grade 7- 49 Grade 6- 42 Grade 5- 35 Grade 4- 29