A-Level Analysis
At A-level there is more emphasis on the contextual and conceptual elements within a photograph.
You need to show that you have researched at a higher level and understand the photographs place within the historical context it was taken as well as show your understanding of the technical aspects of the photograph.
Use this format to help you complete analysis on other's work.
With thanks to Thomas Tallis School for this resource.
You need to show that you have researched at a higher level and understand the photographs place within the historical context it was taken as well as show your understanding of the technical aspects of the photograph.
Use this format to help you complete analysis on other's work.
With thanks to Thomas Tallis School for this resource.
Download these files to see examples of formal written analysis of other Photographer's work using the above format.
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GCSE Analysis
Use the questions and sentence starters to help you analyse Photographers work.
Remember to make all key words in your own text BOLD.
Writing about a photographer’s work
To analyse a photographer's work, you need to talk about: - what is in the picture? - how they have taken the photograph? - What camera or editing techniques have they used? - how have they used the formal elements? (colour, composition, lighting, viewpoint etc) - what do you like about the work? Explain your answer. - how could their work inspire your own photographs? If you need help getting started, you can use these sentence starters, but make sure you write a paragraph, not bullet points... [Artist's Name] takes photographs of... He/she takes his/her photos by… The photography techniques he/she uses are… These are effective because... This photographer considers formal elements in their work by... Something I like about Artist's photography style is... I could take inspiration from this photographer in my own work by... |
THE FORMAL ELEMENTS
Composition - How the photograph is set out. Do they use Leading Lines or the Rule of Thirds? Rule of Thirds - How the photograph is set out. Do they use Leading Lines or the Rule of Thirds? Colour -Is the photograph colour or black and white? How does this affect the mood? Tone -Is the photograph high or low contrast? How and why? The quality of light source can affect the tonal contrast? What kind of light source is there? Line -What sorts of lines are there in the photograph? How have they been positioned in relation to the rest of the composition? What effect does this have? Have ‘Leading Lines’ been used? Shape -What sorts of shapes are there in the image? Do they remind you of anything? Do you think the photographer meant this? What kind of marks does the photographer use? Pattern/Texture –Do the patterns repeat? Are they uniform or random? Is the texture soft or hard, does this impact the feel you gain from the photograph? How does the photograph make you feel? Why? Does the colour, texture, form or theme of the photograph affect your mood? How and why? |
If you prefer, answer some of the questions from each of these 5 headings...
Describe it.
What do you see in this photograph? What words would you use to describe this photograph?
How would you describe this photograph to a person who could not see it?
Is this a naturalistic or abstract image?
What things do you recognize in this photograph? What things seem new to you?
Understand it.
What equipment, techniques and processes have been used to make the image? How does this affect the way we view it?
What does this photograph remind you of?
How would you describe the lines in this picture? The shapes? The colors/tones? The textures and patterns?
How has the photographer captured the play of light in this image?
How is this picture different from real life?
What interests you most about this work of art?
Analyse it.
How is space represented in this photograph?
Which part of the photograph strikes you as most interesting? Why?
What questions would you ask the artist about this work, if s/he were here?
Interpret it.
What title would you give to this photograph? What made you decide on that title? What other titles could we give it?
What do you think is going on in this picture? How did you arrive at that idea?
What do you think this photograph is about? How did you come up that idea?
Pretend you are inside this photograph. What does it feel like?
Why do you suppose the artist made this photograph? What makes you think that?
What do you think it would be like to live in this photograph? What makes you think that?
Evaluate it.
What do you think is effective about this photograph? What doesn’t work so well?
What do you think other people would say about this work? Why do you think that?
What do you think is worth remembering about this photograph?
Create a photographic response to this image. What did you choose to create and why? How does it compare to the original stimulus?
What have you learned from exploring this work of art?
Describe it.
What do you see in this photograph? What words would you use to describe this photograph?
How would you describe this photograph to a person who could not see it?
Is this a naturalistic or abstract image?
What things do you recognize in this photograph? What things seem new to you?
Understand it.
What equipment, techniques and processes have been used to make the image? How does this affect the way we view it?
What does this photograph remind you of?
How would you describe the lines in this picture? The shapes? The colors/tones? The textures and patterns?
How has the photographer captured the play of light in this image?
How is this picture different from real life?
What interests you most about this work of art?
Analyse it.
How is space represented in this photograph?
Which part of the photograph strikes you as most interesting? Why?
What questions would you ask the artist about this work, if s/he were here?
Interpret it.
What title would you give to this photograph? What made you decide on that title? What other titles could we give it?
What do you think is going on in this picture? How did you arrive at that idea?
What do you think this photograph is about? How did you come up that idea?
Pretend you are inside this photograph. What does it feel like?
Why do you suppose the artist made this photograph? What makes you think that?
What do you think it would be like to live in this photograph? What makes you think that?
Evaluate it.
What do you think is effective about this photograph? What doesn’t work so well?
What do you think other people would say about this work? Why do you think that?
What do you think is worth remembering about this photograph?
Create a photographic response to this image. What did you choose to create and why? How does it compare to the original stimulus?
What have you learned from exploring this work of art?