A-LEVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
AYAH ABDUL-HALIM | ALEESHA BALL | ALIVEA BENNETT | BETHAN BOWATER | ISOBEL COOPER | LUCINDA ELSON-WHITTAKER | PAULINA JONKISZ | RUBY PARKER | AMELIA PARR | GRACE TAYLOR | GRACE WARD
A-Level Photography allows learners the opportunity to express themselves creatively while exploring ideas and concepts that are personal and meaningful. This is clearly demonstrated across the wonderful work created by this years A-Level cohort. I could not be prouder of the work and achievements made by each member of the Photography group.
Learners often choose issues within society as a means to connect their Photography to an audience. The course consistently challenges them to problem solve and improve both quality and concept as they progress. This ultimately prepares them for both industry and Higher Education.
Industry-standard software and equipment are embedded throughout the course to again support progression, exploring the Creative Cloud Adobe Suite with programs such as Photoshop and Lightroom for image editing, along with InDesign to create their stunning portfolios and project work. To allow for a deeper understanding of photography, learners are encouraged to work with both modern and traditional techniques such as darkroom and Cyanotypes. This 2-year programme builds theoretical and practical knowledge to allow our learners the creative means to express themselves through Photography.
I hope you enjoy exploring the work from this year’s Photography learners.
Simon Morris, A-Level Photography Tutor, Dudley Sixth
Ayah Abdul-Halim
During year 13 I experimented creating imagery which represented the feeling of hope using a digital camera. I used a variety of photographic techniques like street, portrait and still life photography for my shoots developing a range of outcomes. After my A-Levels I will be taking a gap year to discover myself more before returning to education with the potential route of becoming a lawyer.
Aleesha Ball
The concept of my project is to create images that convey motion to reflect the high energy captured within them. My main inspirations are metal and rock music as I enjoy them the most and the bands I saw played these types of music. I did this by taking long exposure photographs to capture lots of movement and edited the colours to be brighter and more eye-catching.
I also edited a few images in Photoshop to add a motion blur without doing it on the camera to showcase different uses of effects. I photographed both live music and studio shoots with instruments as props and I think the mixture of both works quite well together.
I am currently working towards doing a foundation level in arts and I plan on going to Nottingham Trent University the year after to study photography further.
Alivea Bennett
For this project, I focused on the techniques used and the components which develop and make up product photography as a whole, techniques such as the use of gel lighting, shadows, and the use of water droplets along with a range of other techniques. I also intended for this project to have a focus on the use of vibrant colours in my work particularly complimentary colours.
I experimented with various skills/ techniques in order to develop my skill range and capture my intentions in my work. I found particular success through the use of negative space, shadows, contrast, depth and colour in my work which brought a focus to the object of the image and created a more professional outcome to my outcomes.
After A-levels I intend to go to Warwick University to complete a degree in Law and Sociology.
Bethan Bowater
For this project I explored the concept of individuality by forming characters to showcase the distinct separateness between people and how each person has their own identity. My initial starting point of this project was table, and it is through a table that I have presented the different personality types of an individual by giving them their own personality trait.
For the layout of the images, I wanted to capture all of the models together in an arrangement to further accentuate the uniqueness of each of the characters. Overall, my images are successful as they extenuate the difference between each person through the simplicity of a table and incorporate a variety of skills such as cinematography which is the art of photography and visual storytelling in a motion picture. I used this to build a narrative for each of the characters to help further underline the individuality of a person.
In the future I am to go to the University Of Birmingham to study sociology and education.
Isobel Cooper
My collection of images explores the human presence in everyday life. These are some of my final results for one of my projects which follows a documentary style of photography to show my perspective of how I see the people around me. In this project I was able to develop my work as I moved through different locations and found new places and people to photograph. These are some of my favourite images in showing my view of the people around me.
I am unsure on what I will do next however I am going to continue my photography further in the future.
Lucinda Elson-Whittaker
These are some of my final images from a project where I wanted to explore the unseen struggles that people may experience in their lives in comparison to how they project themselves to everyone in day-to-day life. I explored the ways my mom portrays herself at work, whether that be with colleagues or patients, in comparison to how she may truly feel because of her work environment. Furthermore, I thought it would be interesting to investigate the ways she attempts to work through this stress as well as know why she continues this job despite the negative impacts.
I plan to study photography at Manchester Metropolitan University in September.
Paulina Jonkisz
During the second year of my photography course, my main intention was to explore and experiment with the use of a diverse range of mixed media techniques. For my Component 1 project, ‘Cyan Reminiscence’, my project was centred around the alternative cyanotype photographic process, partnered with the creation of stop motion. During this project, I created cyanotype stop motions presenting a range of themes, mostly consisting of nature, freedom, and escapism.
My Component 2 photography project, ‘Essence of Identity’, consists of mixed media exploration, with the central aim of this project consisting of exhibiting alternative and unique identities. I have decided to explore with the use of a diverse range of materials in order to fabricate a range of creative textures that emphasise the identities presented.
In September, I am planning on studying Film, Photography and Media BA at The University of Leeds.
Ruby Parker
In this project, I explored the concept of identity and how it can become fragmented and distorted. I placed a key focus on editing photos in a glitch-like style, this reflected the broken, multi-faceted nature of identity. Throughout the project, I also explored collaged outcomes in the style of Photographer David Hockney, these collages reflected the multiple ways people may present themselves in society and their online personas.
I utilised a range of techniques throughout this component from simple coloured portraiture to black and white collages, this allowed me to explore many concepts in order to create my final piece. To conclude my project, I combined my glitch style outcomes into a short video clip showing the slow and gradual process of distortion through the use of social media.
After A-Levels, I intend to study Psychology with criminology at Birmingham City University.
Amelia Parr
In my A-level photography projects, I showcase work that encourages viewers too see things differently. Through one project, I reveal the hidden elements of natural forms, highlighting its often-unnoticed details allowing my audience to appreciate them more. In the other, I explored different ways to view architecture, challenging typical perspectives and offering new ways to look at everyday buildings.
My aim over my projects is to inspire my audience to take time to observe and find beauty in the ordinary, to realise there are many ways we can perceive and appreciate the world around us.
I plan on studying a degree in photography at Birmingham city University
Grace Taylor
The first three images are some of the final results taken from my project which explores the relationship society has with technology nowadays. I used old devices from the 90’s and early 2000’s to create irony and highlight the almost strange dependency we have on our phones compared to 20 years ago.
The next three are my final pieces taken from my exam project, which focus on the starting point of layers. The three collages, constructed in Photoshop, highlight the similarities and differences between natural, human and animal form with a focus on grunge as a visual aesthetic.
In September I plan to study Graphic Design at Birmingham City University.
Grace Ward
For the first project, my learnt interests in photography grew into exploring and seeking deeper meanings about our reality through photography. My concept was based upon depicting change within the urban environment in black and white imagery outcomes to express the change between the original colour format used to document early development of towns and cities. Applied to the modern day to put an emphasis upon our ever changing and developing urban reality. I further worked with capturing and developing my own B&W film to further emphasise the classical link I was seeking within this project.
When it came to the next project, I wanted to focus on my personal reality. A camera gives you the ability to freeze a moment in time, something you can look back and be nostalgic, sentimental or even grateful for. This understanding made me want to seek out my reality and capture significant moments in my life in relation to the set topic of table. In my final I understood that; the table became a symbolic reference to what was important and held importance within my life.
My plans are that I intend to study photography at university. My chosen university is Birmingham City University.
