MR SIMMONS
A LEVEL
PHOTOGRAPHY //
&
PERSONAL
INVESTIGATION
RELATED
STUDY
PERSONAL INVESTIGATION
Your personal investigation is a project where you are expected to select a theme and produce a sustained and developed response through consistent experiments, reflection and refinement on your idea and producing different outcomes.
HOW AM I ASSESSED?
ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE ONE
AO1: Develop their ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.
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Analyze your images, don’t just describe them! What effect/meaning/message does it convey?
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Make sure your images are clearly linked to your artists.
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Your ideas should develop and become more refined and focused throughout your project.
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Ensure you present your ideas so it clearly flows and makes sense.
ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE TWO
AO2: Experiment with and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes reviewing and refining their ideas as their work develops and contexts
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Make sure to experiment with different angles, composition and ideas. (In camera)
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Experiment with different editing techniques and effects (out of camera)
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Ensure that your idea is being refined and developed throughout your projects.
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Review the success of your work and refine your images.
ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE THREE
AO3: Record in visual and/or other forms, ideas, observations and insights relevant to their intentions, demonstrating an ability to reflect their work and progress.
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Ensure that all your images are of excellent quality.
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Make sure you use good composition and lighting in ALL of your images.
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Ensure all your prints are of the highest quality, remember a bad print means a bad image!
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Ensure to reflect on your works success technically and conceptually.
ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE FOUR
AO4: Present a personal, informed and meaningful response demonstrating critical understanding, realising intentions and, where appropriate, make connections between visual, written, oral or other elements.
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Ensure your final images are a practical conclusion to the development of your idea.
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Your final outcome should not just be visually stunning but meaningful as well.
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Ensure the final images are visually your strongest work.
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Your final images should have clear links to different elements throughout your work.
SKETCHBOOK EXAMPLES...
EXAMPLE PI PROJECT // REBECCA S // A*
EXAMPLE PI PROJECT // YASMINE F // A
EXAMPLE PI PROJECT // AKILAH C // A
COMING UP WITH AN IDEA?
It is highly important that you are invested and interested in your personal investigation, so please spend the time researching to ensure you are genuinely inspired. If you are unsure on where to start here are some ideas for you to investigate to get you started.
PHOTOGRAPHY ART MOVEMENTS:
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There are a range of art movements that were either photography specific or included photographers. Each one hold specific ideals as well as ideology on how they approached their work. Some of the key ones are Abstract, Dada, Surrealist, Documentary etc. Check out this link or this one for more information and artists.
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Think about what has been the most successful elements in your work so far. What techniques have you enjoyed or been most successful? Perhaps begin to build an idea surrounding this?
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Perhaps you can explore a personal interest of yours or something that you feel passionate about? Go to Pinterest and search the term "photography" or "photographer" along with your interest and begin collecting some ideas.
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Are you interested in photographing specific subject matter? Do you prefer photographing landscapes? Then begin searching landscape photographers on Pinterest and other sources in the "Links" and "Artists" on this site. Perhaps you prefer photographing people and portraits. Begin searching portraiture photography on Pinterest and other sources.
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What are your other A Levels? Could you combine an element of these to explore how it has been explored in Photography? Do Psychology? Perhaps explore how mental health was explored in photography and start looking for artists. Do Art or Textiles? Perhaps start searching photographers who draw, paint or sew into their work!
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Failing the above just searching on Pinterest and pinning lots of images that you find interesting or inspiring can be the best place to start. Once you have spent some time collecting inspiring work review your choices and look to see if their is a pattern or similar theme. A good place to start is this board here.
WRITING A PROPOSAL
To get your personal investigation off to the good it is a good idea to research first and put together a proposal. This is so you can have a strong foundation as well as an opportunity to discuss your ideas with me to ensure you set off on a project that is both meaningful and holds potential.
PI PROPOSAL TEMPLATE
PI PROPOSAL EXAMPLE
RELATED STUDY
The Related Study is a substantial written component of between 1000 and 3,000 words. It involves you completing in-depth research, using it to inform and demonstrate your critical analysis skills and requires you to make informed judgements and write personal evaluations on your chosen subject matter.
HOW TO SELECT A GREAT RELATED STUDY
• The topic must relate to Art or Design and be linked to an aspect of your Personal investigation, whether that be the theme, concept, media or process.
• The topic should be something that you are genuinely interested in. The topic should provide you with sufficient material to write about, while not being so vast that your project becomes all-encompassing, disjointed or superficial.
• The study should be about someone else’s art/designs (not your own).
• Select a topic that is supported by quality reference material. While the Related Study is centred around your own personal responses, drawing on the opinions of educated critics can provide insight and a depth of understanding.
• What to do if you can’t find enough useful information. You will need to reselect your topic or restructure to cover the information you have found.