Photography

Capture Your Creativity: Explore the Art of Photography 

Unleash your artistic potential through photography and digital image manipulation. 

A Level Photography is a dynamic and creative course for students with a passion for visual storytelling. You’ll learn both foundational and advanced photographic techniques, while also mastering digital image manipulation using tools like Photoshop. Throughout the course, you’ll have the freedom to explore your creative ideas, developing a personal style and honing your technical skills. Whether you’re passionate about capturing the world around you or experimenting with digital effects, this course will help you express your vision through the lens. 

Course Overview

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Course Type:	A-Level
Exam Board:	AQA
Assessment	60% exam 40% coursework

98% – Almost all of our A Level Photography students achieved grades from A* to B.

What you will learn:  

• Creative Photography Techniques: Explore both traditional and digital photography methods, mastering camera settings, lighting, composition, and more.  

• Image Manipulation & Editing: Learn advanced skills in Photoshop and other digital software, enhancing your photos with professional-level editing techniques.  

• Independent Research & Artistic Development: Develop a personal project by researching different styles, concepts, and techniques, and bring your ideas to life.  

• Visual Storytelling: Understand how to use images to convey meaning, tell stories, and evoke emotion in your photography projects.  

Course Content & Assessment

Component 1 (60%) – Personal Investigation 

In this component, you’ll undertake a practical investigation into a theme, concept, issue, or idea of your choice.

What’s involved? 

• Explore your chosen idea in-depth and create photographic work to express your findings. 

• This will be supported by written material (between 1000-3000 words) explaining your creative journey, research, and outcomes. 

What are you expected to do? 

• Develop your investigation from a starting point to a final photographic outcome (or a series of related outcomes). 

• Your work should show how you’ve built on your initial ideas, demonstrating how research and planning shaped your final piece(s). 

Component 2 (40%) – Externally Set Assignment 

The examination board will provide several questions for you to choose from, and you’ll respond to one. 

What’s involved? 

• You’ll have several weeks to research, plan, and develop your ideas. Your investigation should be thorough, as this part makes up a significant part of your final grade.

• After your research phase, you’ll spend 15 hours (timed and supervised) to produce your final photographic outcomes.

Teaching

The teaching approach for A Level Photography will build upon skills you may have developed in related subjects like Art and Design. Even if you haven’t studied Photography before, you will quickly adapt and learn new techniques. You will be introduced to both technical skills and creative processes, with your teacher guiding you to develop your unique style.  

Throughout the course, you will be encouraged to explore your own ideas, research your chosen themes, and experiment with different photographic techniques. Expect a combination of in-class instruction, independent study, and out-of-lesson work, including portfolio development and project research. You will have opportunities to collaborate with peers through peer reviews, while self-assessment will help you reflect and improve your work.  

This is a hands-on, self-driven course where creativity, critical thinking, and artistic expression will be central to your development.  

Your Future

Photography is not just about capturing images; it’s about making a statement and shaping how we see the world around us. The skills you gain from studying Photography open doors to a vast range of career opportunities.  

Whether you’re drawn to capturing the beauty of nature through travel photography, the fast-paced world of sports photography, or expressing creativity through fashion or portrait photography, the possibilities are endless. You could also explore architectural photography, forensic photography or work as a freelance photographer for a wide variety of clients.  

A Level Photography is not only highly regarded by universities and colleges, but it also provides a solid foundation for pursuing careers in media, art, advertising, and beyond. The creativity, technical expertise, and artistic insight developed throughout this course will equip you with the tools to turn your passion for photography into a fulfilling career.