What is a Personal Study?
The aim of this unit is to critically investigate, question and challenge a particular style, area or work by artists/ photographer(s) which will inform and develop your own emerging practice as a student of photography. The unit is designed to be an extension of your practical work in your Personal Investigation module where the practical informs and develops the theoretical elements and vice versa of your ongoing project.
Your Personal Study is a written and illustrated dissertation, including a written essay (2000 words) and a photographic body of work (250- 500 photos) with a number of final outcomes produced from your Personal Investigation unit based on the themes of OCCUPATION vs LIBERATION. Essentially this is your final module and we are treating it as a MOCK EXAM project with an opportunity for you to explore the themes above anew, with fresh eyes and develop it in a personal manner.
link to a previous essay: How-and-why-do-photographers-use-the-human-body-to-physically-express-hidden-emotions (1)
This year you have to make a photo book, either online using Blurb or by hand using traditional book binding techniques, which you design to include both your essay and a final selection and sequence of your photographs produced as a response to your chosen theme of OCCUPATION vs LIBERATION.
In addition, we are also expecting that those of you who want to go above and beyond will produce a mini film/ pod cast with sound and images based on the same narrative as used in your photobook.
All your usual research, analysis, planning, recording, experimentation and evaluation will be posted onto your BLOG
What it says in the syllabus (Edexcel)
- Essential that students build on their prior knowledge and experience developed during the course.
- Select artists work, methods and art movements appropriate to your previous coursework work as a suitable basis for your study.
- Investigate a wide range of work and sources.
- Develop your written dissertation in the light of your chosen focus from the practical part of previous coursework and projects.
- Establish coherent and sustainable links between your own practical work with that of historical and contemporary reference.
- Be aware of some of the methods employed by critics and historians within the history of art and photography.
- Demonstrate a sound understanding of your chosen area of study with appropriate use of critical vocabulary.
- Show evidence for an ongoing critical and analytical review of your investigation – both your written essay and own practical work in response to research and analysis.
- Develop a personal and critical enquiry.
- Culminate in an illustrated written presentation.
How to get started: Link your chosen area of study and essay question to your previous work, knowledge and understanding based upon the theme of OCCUPATION vs LIBERATION.
You can choose to develop your project within the Occupation of Jersey stories, focusing on one or a combination of sub- genres already explored such as LANDSCAPE > PEOPLE > OBJECTS and extend and refine studies already begun. This new direction could focus on your own family history in relation to the Occupation or World War II in general (if not Jersey born.)
Alternatively you can decide to interpret the themes in a different way relating to contemporary life, which may be more subjective based and dealing with personal experiences. For example, issues dealing with gender or race referencing political, social, cultural and identity differences.
PRACTICAL WORK: You have 6 weeks in lesson time and over 2 weeks at Christmas to complete any shoots and make new images. This include all relevant blog posts demonstrating your knowledge and understanding of: RESEARCH > ANALYSIS > PLANNING > RECORDING, EXPERIMENTATION > PRESENTATION > EVALUATION.
DEADLINE: MUST complete 4-5 new photo-shoots this term that must be published on the blog by Tuesday 7 January 2019.
For further inspirations and starting points see blog post Past Personal Studies from previous students,, including links to photo books and essays.
ESSAY: We will be spending minimum 1 lesson a week on CONTEXTUAL STUDIES where you will be learning about critical theory, photo history and contemporary practice as well as developing academic study skills to help you writing your essay. However, it is essential that you are organising your time effectively and setting aside time outside of lessons to read, study and write.
DEADLINE: Essay draft MUST be handed in MON 7 Jan 2020.
PHOTOBOOK: Returning after Christmas we will be spending the whole month of January developing, designing and printing the photobook which will include your essay and somewhere between 40-60 images sequenced to tell a story.
MOCK EXAM: MON – WED 12 Feb 2020.
FINAL DEADLINE: Completion of photobook with final essay WED 12 Feb 2020.
EXAM (ESA): Exam Paper and preparation begins THUR 13 Feb 2020.
EXAM (ESA): Controlled Conditions
MON 27 April – FRI 1 MAY 2020.
PLANNER – Download and save in your folder
Week 9: 4 – 10 Nov
Introduction to Personal Study
Lesson task MON: Inspirations
Choose one Personal Study from past students, either from blog post below or photobooks in class. Look through sequence of images carefully and read the essay. Present the study in class and comment on the book’s, concept, design and narrative. Review the essay and comment on its use of critical/ contextual/ historical references, use of direct quotes to form an argument and specialist vocabulary relating to art and photography. Make an assessment using the mark sheet and calculate a grade.
Lesson Task TUE-FRI: Reviewing and reflecting
Objective: Criteria from the Syllabus
- Essential that students build on their prior knowledge and experience developed during the course.
Follow these instructions:
- From your Personal Investigation based on OCCUPATION vs LIBERATION write an overview of what you learned and how you intend to develop your Personal Study.
- Describe which themes, approaches (LANDSCAPE, PEOPLE, OBJECTS), artists, skills and photographic processes/ techniques inspired you the most and why.
- Include examples of past and current experiments to illustrate your thinking.
- Produce a new mind-map and mood-board based around how you interpret the theme of OCCUPATION vs LIBERATION now.
- Plan your first photo-shoot as a response to initial ideas. Must be published on the blog by Mon 18 Nov.
For those not going to Paris on school trip continue to work on the above in lessons on Thursday and Friday.
Paris crew: Complete above task in your own time outside of lesson time once you have returned from Paris trip.
Week 10: 11 – 17 Nov
Design newspaper spreads
Workshop with EESAB
Lesson MON-WED:
This week each student will be designing 3 versions of a newspaper spreads based on the themes OCCUPATION vs LIBERATION in preparation for workshop with post-graduate (MA) students at EESAB ( L’école Européenne Supérieure d’art de Bretagne ) on Wed 13 Nov.
You must produce one spread each on:
LANDSCAPE
PEOPLE
OBJECTS
- Create new document in InDesign with these dimensions: 420mm(h) x 280.5mm(w)
- Only use in high-res TIFF files (4000 pixels)
- Use design ideas and layouts from your zines and photomontages as a starting point or basis for your spreads.
- One of your page spread must be one full-bleed image.
- Incorporate texts and typography where appropriate.
Once you have completed 3 pagespreads, double check:
- All images are high-res file
- Check links in InDesign (if Red Question mark appears re-point to image in your folder)
- Package your layout and save in your name into this shared folder
Complete by Friday 15th Nov 2019
M:\Departments\Photography\Students\Image Transfer\Occupation vs Liberation\Newspaper Pagespreads
Lessons WED 13 Nov: Workshop with EESAB
09:00-10:00: 13E
10:15-11:15: 13B
11:20-12:20: 13C
Other tasks to complete by end of this week:
SPECIFICATION: Continue to develop your specification– WRITE A STATEMENT OF INTENT – and PLAN 4 SHOOTS (2 shoots before Christmas and 2 shoots during Xmas break) in response to artists references and any ideas you may have. It’s important that you begin to make images and experiment.
Paris crew: upload and edit images from Paris trip, especially workshop with Yury Toroptsov. Reflecting on your trip follow instructions below too.
ZINE: Complete Zine design on PORTRAITS & OBJECTS, print and bind. Make sure you have evidence on the blog about showing experimentation with different layouts and annotation.
Week 11: 18 – 24 Nov
Theory & Practice: Artists References
Contextual Studies: Conversations on Photography
THEORY > Artists References
Objective: Criteria from the Syllabus
- Select artists work, methods, theories and art movements appropriate to your previous coursework work as a suitable basis for your Personal Study.
- Investigate a wide range of work and sources
TASKS: Evidence on BLOG
1. ARTISTS REFERENCES: Find inspirations and select 2-3 artists/photographers that you would like to research in depth, and who forms a basis for your Personal Study and influence your photographic shoots and experiments.
Compare and contrast their approaches , practice and work following these steps:
- Produce a mood board with a selection of images and write an overview of their work, style and approach to photography.
- Select at least one image from each photographer and analyse in depth using methodology of TECHNICAL>VISUAL>CONTEXTUAL>CONCEPTUAL
- Incorporate quotes and comments from artist themselves or others (art critics, art historians, curators, writers, journalists etc) using a variety of sources such as Youtube, online articles, reviews, text, books etc.
- Make sure you reference sources and embed links to the above sources in your blog post.
PARIS PHOTO: Ideally, try and find work by artists/ photographers and exhibitions that you experienced at Paris Photo. This will make personal connections and you will be able to draw on how you felt when you encountered the work.
For those who did not visit Paris, inspiration can also be found here.
2. MEANING & METHODS: Identify meaning and methods behind selected artists/photographers work and research at least 3 different literary sources (online articles, books, youtube clips) that will provide you with different critical perspective and views other than your own. Incorporate this new knowledge into your own interpretation of artists work.
The literary sources will also provide you with something to read for further contextual understanding and critical thinking in preparation for writing your essay. Make sure you save hyperlinks, photocopies etc in a new folder: Academic References.
PRACTICE> Artists References
3. PLANNING: Plan a shoot in response to researching and interpreting artists work above. Make sure it relates to your ideas on how you intend to develop your project. Follow these instructions: what, why, how, when, where?
4. RECORDING: Complete panned photo-shoot and bring images in to class. Begin to edit and show experimentation with images using Lightroom / Photoshops as appropriate to your intentions. Make sure you annotate process and techniques used.
5. EVALUATION: Upon completion of photoshoot and experimentation, make sure you evaluate and comment on the following:
- How successful was your photoshoot and experimentation?
- What references did you make to artists references? – comment on technical, visual, contextual, conceptual?
- How are you going to develop your project from here? – comment on research, planning, recording, experimenting.
- What are you going to do next? – what, why, how, when, where?
Wed 20 Nov: Contextual Studies
Conversations on Photography
Go to Blogpost here for more details
Week 12: 25 – 29 Nov
Theory & Practice: Art Movements & Isms
THEORY > Art Movements & Isms
The syllabus states clearly that you have to be aware of some of the methods employed by critics and historians within the history of art and photography.
To demonstrate your knowledge and understanding you will have to write a paragraph in your essay providing historical context about your chosen artists/ photographers and how their their work and practice is linked to a specific art movement, ism or theory.
For this task you need to select an art movement and ism that is relevant to your Personal Study and make a 2-3 minutes presentation in class. You can choose to work alone or pair up with a fellow student:
- Pictorialism
- Realism / Straight Photography
- Modernism
- Post-modernism
Follow these instructions:
- Start by looking at the PPT presentations here which will provide you with an overview.
M:\Departments\Photography\Students\Occupation vs Liberation\Presentations - Find two other sources, article on internet, text in book, youtube video etc and identify relevant quotes, at least two that you can incorporate into your blog post/ presentation.
- Use Art Movements & Isms sheet as a prompt with information that is required in your presentation
- Write 500 words which would form the basis of paragraph 1 in your essay and publish on blog.
- Your paragraph must include visual examples of artists making work within that art movement and ism.
PRACTICE> Photographic responses
- Respond to the art movement/ ism that you have researched and make an image or a set of images that represent the methods/ techniques/ processes/ approach/ styles / aesthetics used by artists working within that is ism or movement.
- Make it relevant to your own project.
- Produce a blog post and publish by – Mon 2 Dec
Week 13: 2 – 8 Dec
Introduction to Essay writing
Contextual Study: Photography Decoded
MON: Academic Sources
- Research and identify 3-5 literary sources from a variety of media such as books, journal/magazines, internet, Youtube/video .
- Begin to read essay, texts and interviews with your chosen artists as well as commentary from critics, historians and others.
- It’s important that you show evidence of reading and draw upon different pints of view – not only your own.
- Take notes when you’re reading…key words, concepts, passages
- Write down page number, author, year, title, publisher, place of publication so you can list source in a bibliography
Bibliography: List all the sources that you have identified above as literary sources. Where there are two or more works by one author in the same year distinguish them as 1988a, 1988b etc. Arrange literature in alphabetical order by author, or where no author is named, by the name of the museum or other organisation which produced the text. Apart from listing literature you must also list all other sources in alphabetical order e.g. websites/online sources, Youtube/ DVD/TV.
Quotation and Referencing:
- Use quotes to support or disprove your argument
- Use quotes to show evidence of reading
- Use Harvard System of Referencing…see Powerpoint: harvard system of referencing for further details on how to use it.
TUE: Essay Question
- Think of a hypothesis and list possible essay questions
- Here is a list of possible questions to investigate that may help you.
THUR-FRI: Essay Plan
Make a plan that lists what you are going to write about in each paragraph – essay structure.
- Essay question:
- Opening quote
- Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area study? Which artists will you be analysing and why? How will you be responding to their work and essay question?
- Pg 1 (500 words): Historical/ theoretical context within art, photography and visual culture relevant to your area of study. Make links to art movements/ isms and some of the methods employed by critics and historian. Link to powerpoints about isms andmovements M:\Departments\Photography\Students\Resources\Personal Study
- Pg 2 (500 words): Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
- Pg 3 (500 words): Analyse second artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
- Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced
- Bibliography: List all relevant sources used
Week 14-15: 9 – 20 Dec
Essay: Introduction
Practical work: Photo-shoots & Experimentation
Objective: Criteria from the Syllabus
- Show evidence for an on-going critical and analytical review of your investigation – both your written essay and own practical work in response to research and analysis.
PRACTICAL WORK: Lesson time Mon, Tue, Thurs, Fri
Produce a number of photographic response to your Personal Study. For example; experiment with story-telling approaches, subject-matter, style, form (lighting, composition) or specific skills, techniques, methods influenced by artist-references.
Bring images from new photo-shoots to lessons and follow these instructions:
- Save shoots in folder on Media Drive: and import into Lightroom
- Organisation: Create a new Collection from each new shoot inside Collection Set: OCCUPATION vs LIBERATION
- Editing: select 8-12 images from each shoot.
- Experimenting: Adjust images in Develop, both as Colour and B&W images appropriate to your intentions
- Export images as JPGS (1000 pixels) and save in a folder: BLOG
- Create a Blogpost with edited images and an evaluation; explaining what you focused on in each shoot and how you intend to develop your next photoshoot.
- Make references to artists references, previous shoots, experiments, inspiration etc.
FURTHER EXPERIMENTATION:
- Export same set of images from Lightroom as TIFF (4000 pixels)
- Experimentation: demonstrate further creativity using Photoshop to make composite/ montage/ typology/ grids/ diptych/triptych, text/ typology etc appropriate to your intentions
- Design: Begin to explore different layout options using Indesign and make a new zine/book. Set up new document as A5 page sizes. This is trying out ideas before we begin designing photobook in January.
- Make sure you annotate process and techniques used and evaluate each experiment
PLANNING
Produce a detailed plan of at least 3-4 photoshoots that you intend on doing in the next 4 weeks – including Christmas holidays.
- Must present one shoot, with edit and experimentation before we break up for Christmas.
- Make sure you return in January 7 with at least 3-4 new shoots and sets of images.
WED 11 Dec: Contextual Studies
Photography Decoded
Go to Blogpost here for more details
FRI 13 Dec: Essay introduction
In this lesson you will write a draft essay introduction following these steps:
- Open a new Word document > SAVE AS: Essay draft
- Copy essay question into Essay title: Hypothesis > if you don’t have one yet, make one!
- Copy your essay introduction (from Essay Plan) which will give you a framework to build upon
- Identify 2 quotes from sources identified in an earlier task using Harvard System of Referencing.
- Use one quote as an opening quote: Choose a quote from either one of your photographers or critics. It has to be something that relates to your investigation.
- Add sources to Bibliograpphy > if by now you don’t have any sources, use S. Sontag. On Photography Ch1
- Begin to write a paragraph (250-500 words) answering the following questions:
- Look at an opening sentence.
- You got 45 mins to write and upload to the blog!
- Think about an opening that will draw your reader in e.g. you can use an opening quote that sets the scene. Or think more philosophically about the nature of photography and and feeble relationship with reality.
- You should include in your introduction an outline of your intention of your study e.g.
- What are you going to investigate.
- How does this area/ work interest you?
- What are you trying to prove/challenge, argument/ counter-argument?
- Whose work (artists/photographers) are you analysing and why?
- What historical or theoretical context is the work situated within. Include 1 or 2 quotes for or against.
- What links are there with your previous studies?
- What have you explored so far in your Coursework or what are you going to photograph?
- How did or will your work develop.
- What camera skills, techniques or digital processes in Photoshop have or are you going to experiment with?
WEEK 15: PRESENTATION – Work-in-Progress
Prepare a 3-5 mins presentation on something that you are working on right now in your project. For example:
An idea
An image
A photo-shoot
An experiment
An inspiration
New research
New development
Use blog posts to present in class. As a class we will give constructive feedback on how each student can develop their work and project
Wed 18 Dec:
Leah Bohea
Eleanor Gilson
Talal Bayat
Charlie Dixon-Smith
Gabbi Bassford
Daniel Butt
Emily Cooper
Niah Da Costa
Kristiana Ambrasa
Jade Bell
Kristin Falle
Nathan Healey
Thurs 19 Dec:
Andreia Da Silva
Jazmin Gulley
Nelista Gallichan
Eren Gow
Francesca Hogan
Yordi Hogetoorn
Gabrielle Le Clezio
Lucy Lemos
Max Kucza
Leah Looby-Razzell
Aimee Low
Fri 20 Dec:
Jasmine Latimer
Kimberley Noel
Alexander Phillips
Ceira Walsh
Will Masterman
Filipe Pereira
Emelia Sargeant
Filip Spasow
Francesca Stubbings
Lillie Makestaad
Krystian Skarbek
Jack Tidy
