Lesson 1
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References

The following list represents the syllabus contents for the technical part of the English (AEB) Art and Photography "A" Level examination. I have included it here as it is a useful study reference, and breaks down the technical knowledge into structured chunks.

Alongside most items is a reference in the form BPnn or APnn. These refer you to the appropriate page numbers in the books listed in the Resources page of this lesson. For example, BP27 refers to Page 27 of Basic Photography, and AP124 refers to Page 124 of Advanced Photography.

Note that these page numbers refer to the specific editions that I have quoted. These two books are revised on a regular basis, and pages may not match on newer versions when they are released.

Photographic technique and practice

Candidates should keep up to date with contemporary developments in the styles, techniques, equipment and materials available in photography

(a) Cameras, Lenses and related equipment

(i) Types of cameras,

· 35mm compact, BP65

· single lens reflex, BP69, AP38

· roll film, BP67, AP39

· larger format sheet film cameras, BP61, AP41

(ii) Types of lenses

· short, BP76, AP31

· standard, BP76

· long focal length lenses, BP76

· mirror, AP29

· telephoto, BP82

· zoom, BP85, AP28

· perspective control (shift) lenses, BP97

(iii) Focusing

· manual methods, BP38, BP71

· automatic methods, BP65, BP71

(iv) Aperture and shutter

· the function and effects of the aperture and shutter, BP39

· their control by automatic and programmed techniques, BP66, BP196

(v) Close-up accessories

· extension tubes, BP90

· bellows, BP88

· supplementary lenses, BP91

· macro lens, AP33

(vi) Filters

· colour, BP176, AP115

· neutral density, BP178

· polarising filters, BP179

· equipment for the production of special effects, BP177, BP180

(vii) Care of equipment, BP48

(b) Light and Light sources

(i) The importance of health and safety requirements, AP137

(ii) The nature and properties of light; wavelength and electromagnetic spectrum, BP21

(iii) Characteristics of light sources used in photography,

· natural light, BP122

· tungsten, BP118

· fluorescent, BP122, AP113

· electronic flash, BP120, AP114

(iv) The effect of light when it strikes a surface

· Reflection, BP24

· Refraction, BP25, AP15

· Dispersion, BP35, AP15

· Polarisation, BP179

· Transmission, BP25

· Absorption, BP169

· Diffraction, BP29

(v) Reflectors

· Types, BP115, BP120, BP122, BP125

· Uses, BP115, BP120, BP122, BP125

(vi) The inverse square law and its practical significance, BP21

(vii) The control of lighting for qualitative effects which may give emphasis to shape, texture, form, drama and visual interest, BP128, BP111, AP107

(viii) Charactaristics of light

· Quality, BP111, AP119

· Direction, BP112, AP119

· Contrast, BP112, AP110

· Evenness, BP117, AP119

· Colour, BP117, AP111

· Intensity, BP118, AP119

(c) Exposure

(i) The factors that influence the choice of exposure, and the methods whereby the "correct" exposure may be assessed for a variety of different situations when using natural light, tungsten or electronic flash, BP186, AP141

(ii) Metering

· Manual metering, BP192

· through-the-lens metering, BP196

(iii) Metering systems, AP146

· Integrated, BP197

· Centre-weighted, BP197

· Spot metering systems, BP197

(iv) The practical significance of reciprocity failure, BP161, AP73, AP237

(v) The control of exposure for specific effects

· Silhouettes

(d) Sensitive materials

(i) Composition of a

· monochrome negative, BP157, AP85

· colour negative, BP171, AP95

· colour reversal material, BP174, AP91

(ii) spectral sensitivity of photographic materials, BP163, AP72 (including infra-red materials)

(iii) the selection of appropriate materials for specific purposes, BP165, BP171, AP77, AP62

(iv) the relationship between contrast, speed, and grain size, BP166, BP224, AP67

(v) the selection of photographic papers for

· contrast, BP246, AP229

· image colour, BP246, AP204

· surface texture, BP244, AP142

(e) Processing, printing and finishing

(i) The importance of health and safety requirements, BP216

(ii) Procedures for processing

· Correctly exposed, BP214

· under-exposed films, BP223, AP63

· over-exposed films, BP224, AP67

(iii) The effect of processing on

· contrast, BP214

· graininess, BP214

(iv) The purpose of the solutions required for processing a monochrome film

· to transparency, BP230

· negative (including chromogenic processing), BP230

(v) Orderly layout of the darkroom for efficient and safe working, BP236

(vi) Types of enlarger, BP238, AP224

(vii) Safelights, BP249, AP228

(viii) The control of contrast when printing, BP246

(ix) Local manipulation of exposure, BP261, AP233

(x) The manipulation of the photographic image to produce special effects, such as

· tone control, BP276

· Sabbatier,

· multiple exposure,

· graininess,

· toning, BP278

· tinting, BP280

(xi) Faults

· processing faults, BP233, AP220

· printing faults, BP227

(xii) mounting and presentation, BP275

(f) Colour Photography, AP60-106, AP197

(i) Trichomatic theory, AP85

(ii) Additive and subtractive analysis and synthesis, AP95, AP91

(iii) The characteristics of colour materials and processes available for the production of

· negatives, AP85-106

· transparencies, AP85-106

· prints, AP85-106

(iv) Techniques of exposure for optimum colour reproduction for

· colour reversal materials, AP63

· colour negative materials, AP64

(v) Techniques for special effects

· Camera techniques, BP201, AP45, AP194

· Processing techniques, BP201

(vi) The purpose of the solutions required for processing a substantive colour reversal material, BP175, BP216, BP228

This page was last updated on 11 August 1998
Please address any comments to Mark Mumford