The assessment course is split into two parts: 1. Personal Study This component is completed in lessons and for homework from the start of the course until Christmas in Year 13. You will create a huge body of work which is personal to you and your interests, responds to the work of other artists and combines different artistic forms and materials. This will include sketchbook work, final outcomes, annotations and a 1,000-3,000-word essay. The essay is an in-depth study of an aspect of Photography that is related to your own artistic development. 2. Externally Set Assignment For this Component you will receive a brief from the exam board in January of Year 13. You will have five months to build up a sketch book of work in response to the given theme. You will have a three-day exam during which you will create your final outcome. Students should be aware that although the course is essentially practical, they are expected to use the written word extensively in their sketchbooks if they are to access the highest grades. The first half term is treated as skills induction time, where students will explore a range of photographic media in a creative and challenging way. We will cover diverse areas such as: Manual camera settings, digital photography and Photoshop, studio lighting, gear hacking, video, location scouting, and contextual analysis.