Final Self Evaluation

Overall Evaluation
During Component 1 of A Level Photography I have learnt many things that I didn't learn in GCSE, I re-visited some topics that I was taught in GCSE and also was introduced to new projects that I've never touched upon before.

During the allocated projects, I have been researching into photographers and art movements surrounding the projects given. This research has influenced my work in a multitude of ways. Certain photographers, such as Corrine Day, have inspired me and the type of photography that I would like to peruse in the future. Day's photography has very powerful messages behind it which inspired my Documentary project. I decided to plan out a story that was based around a social issue before taking photographs so that I could tailor the photoshoots to the story and make the images have a strong deep meaning and back story. I believe that this gave my images more meaning. Thanks to Day's work, I now plan out my photoshoots in detail before taking the pictures. Barbara Kruger's work also gave me similar inspiration to Corrine Day's work. Before researching Kruger, I would never have added text to my images as I felt that it would look unprofessional. I learnt, however, that this was not the case; Instead, I now feel like text enhances the meanings of images and makes them more interesting to audience members. I will take this into consideration when creating edits in the future.

During Component 1 I have learnt many new technical skills. These include the use of Photoshop, setting up a studio and also camera settings. During GCSE, we were not encouraged to use manual settings on the camera and were told that Automatic Mode was easier for us a that stage. The A Level course however did the opposite. We were encouraged to use Manual Mode which allowed us to manually alter the ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed depending on the environment and lighting around us. I also learnt how to set up a studio for photoshoots. The type of photography being taken, depended on how the studio was set up. For example; Commercial photography used a lot of harsh lights pointing directly at the object and also required reflectors which reflected light onto the products being photographed. Finally, My knowledge of Photoshop editing also increased. During GCSE we were introduced to many editing techniques, such as colour popping. Despite this, I learnt many more techniques. Primarily during the Composite Image project. I learnt how to manipulate images by adding things that weren't in original images, such as animals, into photographs.

Because of research and particular projects assigned to me during Component 1, the way I take photographs has changed in some aspects. I now plan out photographs physically instead of mentally so that I have a better idea of what to photograph. Also, by physically planning out my photoshoots, I can never forget an idea that I have and can also develop ideas further and I can mentally. The way I physically take photographs hasn't changed however. I believe that I can compose images in great succession as I do look out for imperfections within the frame before shooting the image. This helps me improve the images as a whole as there would be minimal distractions and the images look more professional as there is nothing out of place within the photograph.

During the projects, I have branched out and experimented by doing things in photoshoots that I wouldn't usually do. For example: I didn't particularly like using studios when shooting photos. However, this changed when I experimented in the studio after my tutor heavily advised the use of the studio for the Tone and Form projects. I also felt that photography should be electronic now that DSLR cameras are now primarily used by photographers. When experimenting why creating physical images however, I liked the outcome of the physical images more than I did than some of the photographs taken and edited electronically. This has taught me to experiment with many different types of photography and to not single out anything when coming up with ideas for projects.

After completing all of the different projects assigned, I see my work edging towards a certain type of photography. The work that I most enjoyed is the type of work that I feel I was most successful in. This will influence my choice of photography work that I will pursue in the future. Documentary and photography with deep moral and social meanings is the type of photography that I see my work edging towards. I also enjoy surreal art so I feel like my work in the future will be a combination of surrealism and documentary photography.

Throughout Component 1 I feel like I have been more successful in some projects than others. I feel like I was most successful in the Documentary and Physical Images projects for many reasons. One of these reasons was that more time was spent into planning the photoshoots and there was also a story created behind the images. Other projects were more difficult to create a story and therefore these projects, such as colour, were less successful. The Joiners project was, I believe, my most unsuccessful project. The reasons for this are because of the amount of time I had to complete the workload. This project required a lot of editing and I therefore found myself getting stressed because of the limited time I had to complete the images. I feel like this effected the quality of the final edits and is therefore my most unsuccessful project.

Overall, I feel like I have learnt a lot more about Photography that I have in GCSE and now know what type of photography I will pursue in the future.