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Photography A Level

closeup of a camera lense
Getting Ahead

Photography A Level at Alton Campus

Are you studying Photography A Level at Alton in September? You’re in the right place!

Our teachers have put together some work to help you prep for your course over the summer. Start to develop skills that are relevant to your course before you join HSDC Alton this September.

Contribute! If you take your own creative photos over the summer, use #iamcreativeathsdcalton and join our creative community.

student taking a photo of someone in a photography studio

Research and record ten different events or people that were significant to the development of Photography. This could be photographers, innovations, techniques and a few contextual ‘World’ events (Like the Second World War). 

Include some relevant pictures for each point on your timeline, this makes the work an illustrated piece (you don’t have to hand draw anything!) Plus, find a few sentences of information, the date and a heading. 

Produce this digitally in a word document or over a couple of slides and when finished, email this document to cara.crowcombe@alton.hsdc.ac.uk  and tozzy.bridger@alton.hsdc.ac.uk

 

There are some examples of photographic timelines below: 

 

 

photography a level

The Invention of Photography: Sir John Herschel, William Henry Fox Talbot and Anna Atkins

portraits of sir john herschel, william henry fox talbot and anna atkins

Make an illustrated (with pictures!) mind map that shows the connections between Sir John Herschel (1792-1871), William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877) and Anna Atkins (1799-1871).

  • Find out some biographical information: for example, where they lived, provide a map if this helps. How did they all know each other?
  • Most importantly, look at their individual contributions to the invention of photography. Write about the processes they pioneered and used. Give as much information as you can find and provide images to back up your writing!
  • Please type up your essay and include a bibliography of where you found all your information.
  • Use textbooks as well as the internet and please interpret in your own words.

TOP TIP: If you find it easier you can bullet point the information that you find!

Some useful sites for research –

For the first time, the Tate Modern tells the intertwined stories of photography and abstract art.

Watch the video about the relationship between the two through the exhibition that was held at the Tate. Look out for work by Man Ray. Now look at this this article on Man Ray.

 

Task – Create a small montage of found photographic images (on a sheet of A4) using the ideas of the Dada movement and magazines, newspapers etc. Consider Man Ray’s photographic prints and the objects he used. (Put your name on the back)

Please complete this for the first day of the new term. We will use the timeline in your induction day lesson.

Resources

Meet your Teachers

  • Cara Crowcombe

  • Corinne Whitehouse

  • Tozzy Bridger

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Your Learning Space

*This is a representation of your learning space and may not be the exact room you will be using

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