In Specialised Photography, students explore innovation, interdisciplinary experimentation, and entrepreneurship within the field of photography. They apply critical and creative thinking to undertake in-depth inquiry into issues relating to self, others and world and apply their insights into photographic practice. Students use their understanding of a range of photographic applications to select and use technical and conceptual approaches to communicate intended meanings.

Students learn how to use and manipulate styles, forms and conventions through creative risk taking and experimentation. They make and curate photographic works responding to changing and evolving requirements for exhibitions, client briefs, entrepreneurial purposes, and interdisciplinary contexts. Students learn to value the photographic creative process, as much as they value finished works. They explore contemporary and emerging photography practice and learn that photography is dynamic and changes.

Students develop general capabilities and transferable skills through the creative process that are readily transferable to other roles in the creative industries. They become problem solvers, and critical and creative thinkers, and these skills are relevant to a wide range of career and life pathways. Students develop sophisticated technical, conceptual knowledge and skills to be informed, visually literate communicators. Students apply their skills and capabilities in specific photographic and commercial and artistic endeavours, and more broadly in a range of personal interests and work contexts.

The Specialised Photography course is written under The ARTS Framework 2021: BSSS ARTS Framework

Achievement Standards for ARTS courses can be found within the Framework.

Through the study of the Arts, students learn to express their ideas, thoughts and opinions, as they discover and interpret an increasingly complex technological and interconnected world. The subjects in this Learning Area share common understandings and broad conceptual underpinnings and imperatives.

Innovation in Photography

Students learn about innovative photographic practice and practitioners who break with codes and conventions. They explore the aesthetics and ethics of new technological and conceptual innovations in photography. Through experimentation and problem solving, students apply their skills and knowledge of innovative photographic practice.

Photographic Exhibitions

Students learn about stylistic and curatorial choices and how that positions audiences to interpret photographic works. They explore how the presentation, display and use of photographic works influences attitudes, values, and perspectives. Students apply technical and conceptual skills in curation to create their own texts and exhibitions. They consider factors such as copyright, preservation of works and Work Health and Safety in designing and conducting exhibitions. They explore the representations of ideas in photographs as photographer, editor, and curator.

Entrepreneurship in Photography

Students learn about entrepreneurship and the connections between photographic practice and industry. They consider the nature of entrepreneurship and opportunities for photographers. They explore the tension between the creative and commercial considerations when working within a client brief or creative vision. Students apply their understanding of entrepreneurship and industry to produce authentic photographic products for a range of purposes and audiences.

Interdisciplinary Inquiry in Photography

Interdisciplinarity inquiry is an approach to studying and addressing complex problems and/or issues to explore new perspectives and advance critical thinking. By exploring other disciplines, students enhance their ability to synthesise and draw conclusions, to develop diverse applications of photographic practice. They learn how photographic practice can be applied to and work with other disciplines to enhance or develop understanding. Students examine how to incorporate knowledge and skills from other disciplines and consider how photographic works can incorporate other mediums.

Independent Study

An Independent Study unit has an important place in senior secondary courses. It is a valuable pedagogical approach that empowers students to make decisions about their own learning. An Independent Study unit can be proposed by an individual student for their own independent study and negotiated with their teacher. The program of learning for an Independent Study unit must meet the unit goals and content descriptions as they appear in the course. Students must have studied at least THREE standard 1.0 units from this course. A student can only study a maximum of one Independent study unit in each course. An Independent Study unit requires the principal’s written approval. Independent study units are only available to individual students in Year 12. Principal approval is also required for a student in Year 12 to enrol concurrently in an Independent unit and the third 1.0 unit in a course of study.

Specialised Photography A/T/M (731 KB)

Specialised Photography A/T/M (318 KB)

The following courses are also available:

• Photography
• Studies of Photography