# AS Level photography exam final piece. Opinions???



## chloewindle1 (May 2, 2014)

Currently in Sixth form going into my final year. This is my year 12 final piece. Opinions? I still have time to change but I'm really happy with the outcome of this (minus nearly burning the fabric haha). Project theme: 'looking through' https://www.flickr.com/photos/122437324@N04/13901148890/


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## tirediron (May 2, 2014)

Since the vast majority of forum members are not native to the UK and may not be familiar with your education system, perhaps a more in-depth explanation of where you are in the educational system, age, and nature of the requirements for this final submission would help put respondants in a better position to give the best critique.


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## runnah (May 2, 2014)

tirediron said:


> Since the vast majority of forum members are not native to the UK and may not be familiar with your education system, perhaps a more in-depth explanation of where you are in the educational system, age, and nature of the requirements for this final submission would help put respondants in a better position to give the best critique.




Now now, don't make generalizations here!

Everyone in England goes to Hogwarts right?


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## KmH (May 2, 2014)

I see at best a tenuous connection between the theme title and the photos, the only connection being the photograph of the child behind the column of water,
In that photo and based on the theme, I would expect the child to be sharply focused and not the column of water.

While the composition  and focus sharpness of most of the photos is acceptable I was disappointed in the quality and the direction of the light in most of the photos.
I also judged that some of the photos are under exposed.


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## Derrel (May 2, 2014)

KmH said:


> I see at best a tenuous connection between the theme title and the photos, the only connection being the photograph of the child behind the column of water,
> In that photo and based on the theme, I would expect the child to be sharply focused and not the column of water.
> 
> While the composition  and focus sharpness of most of the photos is acceptable I was disappointed in the quality and the direction of the light in most of the photos.
> I also judged that some of the photos are under exposed.



The quality and direction of the light you show your viewers is the single biggest area you need to improve upon, along with a somewhat related issue, which is how to actually process images with dull, flat lighting, and/or images shot in back-lighted conditions and then converted to black and white; there are multiple photos of the horses or horse and rider, done in B&W, where the shadow-side, the side we the viewers look at the most, which have fairly dull contrast. In a word, your black and white processing looks "dull".

I'm going to suggest that there are multiple shots shown in B&W that were shot in full-color, but had to be converted--simply because I know exactly how the quality and direction of that kind of light would look in color. B&W needs more separation of tonal values than what is shown here, like for example, the gray horse in the stable...that shot is "flat"...there is no sculpting of the subject by either light, nor by tonal value difference. I think basically, you need an entirely new approach to B&W photos.

But the quality and direction of light issue...that's the piece that's missing. In terms of getting focus, YES, you are doing that. In terms of getting a sharp shot, yes, you are doing that. But the way the subjects are being shown to us,as viewers, the kind of natural daylight that is on-the-subjects, is just not inspiring, but is typically shadowless and back-lighted, and rendered (rendering comes from software processing for the most part these days on digital images) a bit "flat".

I've seen your progress; you ARE making progress, but I think some book-learning about light, lighting, and how to position yourself and your camera in relation to the action, and in relation to the lighting that is on-scene, is the next critical step. KmH probably has a book link for just that specific area of skill development.


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## weepete (May 2, 2014)

AS levels are the first year part of an A level, it's the qualification that people sit (mostly in England, Scotland did highers but that's all reforming soon) before going to unviersity, college or out into the workplace.

In the UK we normally start primary school around age 4 or 5 for 7 years, then move on to secondary education for a minimum of 4 years for our basic education, then we can opt to stay on for an exta one or two years to sit more advanced exams that are primarily directed at gaining entry to University. So the OP will be 16 or 17 and going into her final year of secondary education.


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## Braineack (May 2, 2014)

runnah said:


> Everyone in England goes to Hogwarts right?




It's HOGGLE!


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