Plans - 2nd year standard Unit 5 and 6

AO2 –  Produce a self‑initiated project proposal A sophisticated project proposal stating creative intentions and plans for implementation is imaginatively presented and thoroughly informs and directs practical and theoretical investigations

 

The Proposal (Key Points)_________________________________________________________

Use the prompts as advised by UAL your lecturer will give you the headings and guidance.

 

The key thing is to make a start on the work and allow I to come together and develop. Mid-way through the project you’ll be far clearer what your objective is in terms of your idea/concept and what it is you’re rationale is. At that point start to fill these sections in.

 

Fill as much of the details in as you can.

 

Fill in the weekly plan at the end of each week.

Fill in the Bibliography as you go. This has to include hard-copy and be Harvard Referenced.

 

Plans and Intentions (For individual shoots_________________________________________

Each shoot needs to have detailed and comprehensive plans. The plans allow you to showcase your technical knowledge and the clarity of your idea and its connections with purpose, meaning, concept, clients and audience.

 

Key components that should be seen in the shoot plans…

 

What or who it is your taking pictures of.

 

What it is you’re aiming to get better at and improve (Technical or conceptual) testing, experimenting or trying.

 

What equipment, materials you’re using and why they are appropriate in this scenario.

 

How you’re going to use the equipment and material, how you’re setting them up and why and why this is appropriate.

 

The key thing you’re taking from your research – use an image and make the connection with the image. Each developmental shoot should have at least a single image for this purpose, ideally a mini – research with the links used added to your bibliography in your proposal.

 

Concept & problems You have to be clear about your idea and why you’re producing the work.

o   There should be a clear indication of who the typical client would be for the work you’re producing. This clarifies the purpose of your images.

o   Clear details of who the images are intended to appeal to e.g. the audience. This should include demographic details.

o   The purpose of the images, what kind of photography it is what it’s intention is… Selling a product/lifestyle, informing and teaching, illustrating, promoting, antagonising and provoking.

o   Details of the vibe/mood/feel of the images you’re aiming to produce and how you’re going to do this through the use of visual language tools, application of materials, equipment, techniques and processes and the problems and solution that arise.

 

Practical problem and their solutions 2 or 3 examples of practical issues that might arise and what you’d do in the event that if they did.

 

Who else is on the shoot models (Go-see pictures) model details, model releases. Make-up artists, assistants etc.

Equipment list and check-lists

Booking forms for studio and the details relating to the booking process.

Liquid Emulsion (In Class task)

 

Liquid emulsion (Decay)

This is a technique that I'd advise you to use at least a couple of times each year if not more within your projects. This is one of those techniques that you'll only really get a chance of seeing and using if you go to college and therefore if this technique is used and ends up in your portfolio it's one that'll be noticed.

This is the basic version that could be done as an In Class Task (ICT) This is the version where you're looking to simply print an image onto a 'Support' such as Colorama background paper which we've usually got plenty of at the college. 

Note for using the chemical (New 2026)

Decant what you need: Never melt the entire 250ml bottle over and over again. Repeatedly heating and cooling the main bottle breaks down the gelatin matrix and will cause the emulsion to chemically "fog" (turn grey or muddy).

Scoop out what you require from the bottle using a plastic spoon or knife into a far/beaker

Submerge the beaker into a hot water bath strictly below 50°C. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it melts into a smooth, creamy.

• Neat (Undiluted): Use the melted emulsion exactly as it is for the deepest, richest blacks and maximum image contrast.
• Diluted (1+1 with warm water): Mix 1 part melted emulsion with 1 part warm distilled water (around 40°C). This makes it much easier to coat larger areas smoothly, though the image will be slightly less contrasty.
• Brushing (Best for paper, wood, canvas): Use a soft, high-quality brush (like a Japanese Hake brush). Like paint, if you apply it too thin, it will look streaky. It is highly recommended to apply two thin, cross-hatched coats rather than one thick layer. Let the first layer become tacky or dry before applying the second.
• Once coated, the emulsion is still liquid and highly fragile.
  • The Refrigerator Trick: Immediately place your freshly coated object onto a flat shelf inside a completely dark refrigerator for 5 minutes. (Crucial safety step: Unplug or tape down the internal fridge light switch before opening the door!) This rapid cold-chill sets the gelatin instantly so it cannot run or pool unevenly. 
  We don't have a refridgerator, but we can use the drying cabinet with the fan turned on with no heat. This has worked really well in the past. 
  • Complete Drying: Take it out of the fridge and leave it in total darkness to dry completely. You can use a hairdryer, but it must be set strictly to cool/cold air. If you apply heat, you will remelt the gelatin and ruin your work
  The optimum time to treat the paper would be a late session in the day during the winter months. The paper could be left over-night in complete darkness to dry flat on the enlarger base boards. 

You will need...

2-4 digital images (see below for guidance)

A3 Opaque bags (Safe bags used for storing light sensitive papers

(Alternatively if students have their own 10 x 8 opaque bags with their RC VC photopaper the treated paper can be stored in those, or student could be given individual 10 x 8 bags if desired). 

Enough A4 sized acetate for each person to have 2 sheets

Liquid Emulsion

Enough A3 sized Colorama paper for the class

The drying cabinet in the darkroom prepped and plugged in to the mains

Film drying clips or wooden pegs

Plastic spoon or knife 

Glass beaker for the chemical

jiaban/Hake wooden brushes

Scissors

120/Medium format contact sheet printers

Sheets of heavy glass (Contact sheet glass)

Get your images ready: Try and use images that suit the technique. I would recommend using full length or 3/4 length portraits shot against plain backgrounds. Close up portraits would work too. 

The easiest technique...

• Digital images resized to 10 x 8 inches desaturated, with the contrast increased slightly. I would then photoshop the image adding either a 10 x 8 polaroid or 10 x 8 film rebate file layer -  ask your lecturers for the file to do this or check to see if it's in the 'Shared files' on Teams. 
• Once that's applied - Invert the file and save it as PNG file at 300 ppi and re-name. 
• Open the files in the default window viewer (below) (1). Change the paper size to A4 (same as the acetate). (2). The change the quality to 2400dpi and then (3). choose the 'Nesting' option to 2 images per page.  (4). Look at this carefully check to see if all the area you want printed is going to be included. Flick between the ticked and un-tick options to see. 

• 
  

Other recommended ways of doing this include using actual neg's in an enlarger and printing normally. Or using 10x8 camera prints in the same way as you would described above. 

• Sharp 35mm Negative
• Sharp Medium format negative -make sure you keep the rebate in the image (The black film edge). Print the images using the glass plates. 
• Images shot on the 10 x 8 view camera scanned and converted into a negative file - make sure you keep the rebate in the image (The black film edge). 

The paper

Once you've made the 10 x 8 acetate negative you need to prep the paper...

The most reliable paper that you can use is 'Colorama' background roll paper and usually there's lots of it around the dept to be used (Ask Dave T).

If you're doing this as an In-class task you would be allocated 1 x sheet of A3 paper.

(1)- Draw diagonal lines across the back of the paper as in the diagram and write your initials using black or blue ink in several places at least twice in each quarter of the paper.

This will enable you to be able to identify the back of the paper in the red light of the darkroom and also which prepped sheet of paper is yours.

(2). Under the guidance of the lecturer or technician you'll be guided to apply the liquid emulsion to the plain side of the paper. Normally this is done using a wooden hake or Jiaban brush. Brushes with metal components react with the Liquid emulsion which is full of silver. 

Normally one coat is applied and allowed to soak into the paper whilst the rest of the students apply their first coat and then a 2nd coat is applied. 

(3). Being very careful using either film clips or wooden pegs hang the A3 treated paper in a film drying cabinet as quick as you can and turn on the fan Do not have the heat on, the colder the air the better the outcome. The turn out all of the red safe lights and leave the paper in the cabinet to dry. Put no entry tape across the rotating door or a sign or just watch the darkroom while the paper dries.

Note other non-photography students are inquisitive about what's in the darkroom and they go into the darkrooms and use their phones to look at what's inside. Needless to say this would ruin all of the work that you've done prepping the paper. 

(4). Once the paper is dry, quickly identify the papers from the initials on the back and cut the A3 sheets into 4 pieces approx A5 in size. Ideally the students would store thier liquid emulsion paper in their own opaque 'Safe bag' in the box with their RCVC photo-paper. 

Contact printing your acetate negatives

(5). When you print your images, you'll be making 'Contact prints' in the same way that would with Cyanotypes... You lay the paper on the enlarger base board or one of the 120 clear glass contact sheet printers. Lay a sheet of glass over the liquid emulsion paper test strip and make a test strip. (see Dave T or the technicians for sheets of glass). 

Because you're making test strips and using a very similar image each time it should be the case that once you've established the time on one enlarger this should pretty be the same for everyone, but you should at least make test strip based around time established at the start. Allocate one of your 4 pieces of treated paper to be used for test strips.

(6). Follow the guidance from the lecturer with regards development or if working independently on personal projects read through this blog post in full taking notice of the points at the start,

Taking it to the next Level. 

There's a number of different things you could do to get real value out of this activity if you were to adopt it conjunction with your own projects especially in Year 2 in conjunction with your FMP.

(1). Make it one of the main experiments or potentially the final method of presenting your final body of work. 

This technique if produced well has got the potential to absolutely nail the higher grades in one project almost. The technique imbues your work with a new layer of complexity and converts your work from basic to advanced and elevates to the status of being an 'Art' outcome.

(2). Hand tint - Paint or use inks or any other mark-making method to add colour to the work.

The work if produced on Colorama paper that has similar properties and characteristics to Ilford MG300. This lends itself to being potentially hand-coloured which adds another layer of creativity and experimentation and could be another developmental stage within the project.

(3). Try different supports 

Most cards and papers will take the liquid emulsion if they're fairly heavy, these include cartridge paper, printing card, cardboard box card, water-colour papers, mount board and more, again this type of experimentation is higher-level learning and adds enormous value to your work.

(4). Decay and degrade

Before applying the liquid emulsion treat the paper with colour or make it look old and discarded. Fold or screw the paper up, stain it with tea, spray and or drizzle bi-carbonate of soda or lemon or orange juice. Then subject that to heat and it makes a good realistic 'Aged look' stain.  

 

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Portfolio work

With University interviews starting in January you all need to start looking through all your work and finding your best images. You need to create a new folder called Portfolio and save this on your Onedrive. In that folder you need to create a new power-point, name this using your name followed by "Portfolio" e.g Teresa Green - Portfolio                                                                                       

 You then need to go back through all the images you've shot - probably starting with your 'Besties' from each of the projects/units and save your best images in sets of 2,4 or 6 in the portfolio folder. At this stage save everything and anything that is good, aim to have a variety of different images - pinhole, film shots, 10x8 work, the recent tape transfers, cyanotypes anything experimental - Universities and photographers love to see this type of work as it shows you're genuinely interested in photography and learning. You'll be competing for places and jobs with people that go to colleges that don't teach the same variety and having a variety of experimental and digital approaches might give you the edge in an interview situation. 

This same PPT will also include information and research into Universities and employment options and potentially record your process of decision making in relation to your progression goals.

In your PPT

Write an introduction. Explain the following ...

• What you've chosen as your specialism for the second year and why you have chosen it.
• What your thoughts are on going to University or working in Photography at this stage - what are your longer term goals, how do you think you're going to achieve them. 

Photo-papers more details

Portfolio options - hardcopy - Uni types portfolios - websites

Mounting options and presentation

Self promotion - gallery shows, social media, net-working 

Portfolio target audience

Basic Research + ethical and environmental AO3

 The expectation is to have 3 slides/pages of research.

*See note at the bottom re higher grades

To attain the higher grades you can't simply use internet research, you have to use a range of research methods- secondary, primary and empirical and a range of sources. Using the internet will get you a pass, but if you're aiming for the higher grades your research has to be far more robust and in-depth and include one or more of the following sources. *The advised option is to use hard-copy sources. As much as you can - try and use Hard-copy resources to kick start your research, find your photographer using magazines, journals or books first and foremost and then move on to using the internet. 

Hard-copy; Journals, magazines, newspapers; Videos and TV; primary research interviewing, emailing and talking to real people; Gallery visits, museums, libraries. 

Bibliographical details. Within the work, make sure you identify your sources saving the links that you've used to collate your information and some of your images. Use the website www.mybib.com to convert the standard website links into Harvard style links. Copy all of the links that you use and also paste them into a Bibliography Page at the end of your power-point. 

Slides/pages...

Page/slide (1). a page of images associated with the photographer/artist that you've chosen to research who will inspire your initial set of images. 

Page/slide (2). Details that relate to 

• The operational context of the work you've specifically chosen to influence your work. What kind of work is it, where is it seen, who commissions it (Client) and who is it's audience (Demographic details). Use images were possible to support your investigations and claims.
• How does the photographer make a living from their photography, is it sold as art, do they only do this type of work, what other work do they do, who have the worked for previously, where is their work published, what is their specialism. Use images were possible to support your investigations and claims... screen grabs of lists of clients, galleries where their work is shown/sold, art auction websites etc.

Page/Slide (3). The single image analysis

This relates to deconstructing and analysing the images in terms of the visual language tools used. Use one single image and explain how and why it works as an image, discuss whether it is clear whether the image is easily understood to be what it is e.g. if it's a fashion image, what is there about the image that we recognise as being indicative of a fashion image. If it's an art image - how do we know that? Think about a 'Lay-person' would they recognise the image for what it is? 

• Narrative Is there a story behind the image? Explain the story, what is the image communicating (See the list of concept words) on teams. What ideas or concepts are the images trying to communicate and how is this being done? A useful term to use and explain is The Vibe in terms of what's being communicated. 
• Light How is light used to convey meaning and mood, again refer to the list of concept words. 
• Body language and facial expressions what impact does this have on the reading of the image?
• Use of props what impact does this have on the reading of the image?
• Background what impact does this have on the reading of the image?
• Use of colour what impact does this have on the reading of the image?
• Use of framing and composition what impact does this have on the reading of the image?
• Use of viewpoint what impact does this have on the reading of the image?
• Use of texture/shape/form what impact does this have on the reading of the image?
• Vibe/mood/feel what is it and how has it been achieved through the use of light, equipment, colour and other components listed above? 

Environmental and Ethical 

You have to have a section within the work that discusses ethical concerns relating to your Photography and or photography on a wider scale. *This would have been created in a previous body of work and can be copied over into the current work and improved or embellished further. You can add additional information as you become increasingly aware of Ethical concerns and issues related to your photography or photography in general. 

The same applies to the Environmental aspects.

Flying and travelling

Digital files - data centres

Camera production and renewing of equipment now compared to pre-digital cameras

Use of chemicals

*Higher Grades

The distinction criteria indicates... "Comprehensive and imaginative research is used to inform and direct activities".

With this in mind your initial research almost certainly only informs and directs your initial activities. Therefore to attain higher grades, you need to be continually looking at new research material during any given project to boost your ideas and influences allowing you to merge new ideas off the back of any new research. Therefore it's essential that you add more research - more photographers and artists as you go in the form of mini research ... This can be an additional slide with relevant images and a simple to the point analysis of a single image looking at how the image works and it's operational context. *ANY NEW LINKS can be added to your bibliography. The bigger and more varied your bibliography (Books, journals, magazines) the increased chances of attaining the higher grades. 

Basic Plans AO2

 Minimum requirement

Each shoot needs to have a plan. The plans should be detailed and complex if you're looking to attain the higher grades. This is a list of the basics to enable a pass...

(1). Use and heading Plan/Intention. Make sure you include the basics... Where, when, who with, why, what purpose, what genre, times, floor plans, wide shots of the set, maps and ariel shots off Google images if shot in location, what equipment and lenses and why they are appropriate, what settings you'll be using and why these are appropriate. 

(2). Explain what it is you're going  to be doing - if the work is in the early stages you might include a reference image from your research that you're trying to recreate elements from... The lighting, background, the pose etc.

(3). Then explain when, where, who with (models, assistants, stylists). Use photos of the location and maps from Google. Explain what equipment and materials you'll be using and any other resources and say why they are Appropriate. 

(4). Then identify the intended operational context of your images... I'll be shooting my images in a style that you might expect to see in (Insert publication, website, company etc). Then explain who the client is in the instance you've identified and who the intended audience is. (Demographic details...

When you explain the audience for your images, it's useful to understand the class system and who is who. Click on the image here and refer to your audience using the descriptions seen in this image. 

*This has to be discussed in your plans and links with AO6.
 

Male/female/other, ethnicity, class, age, wealthy or every day people). *You have to identify a client and audience, as this is required as part of AO6.

(5). Then explain the "Vibe" of the images, what mood and feel are you creating and whether there's a story within the images. Look at this list of words and phrases and put together a paragraph or two that explains what your images are trying to convey. If you're able to, explain how the use of colour, background, location, light, props, facial expressions, body language, camera angles, focal lengths and eye contact will convey the concept and feel of your images. 

(6). Detail any H&S issues that will arise or could be an issue in your shoot. Use Photographs and explanations as to what presents a potential H&S issue. These could be potentially be high-lighted as a problem with the solution explaining what you did to address the situation. 

Identifying your Operational context (Planning)

 When you shoot any images of people for instance you have to do so with a purpose and this has to be part of your plan/Intention. It doesn't matter how basic the shoot is and that your primary intention is you're simply exploring or experimenting with the light or some equipment, you still have to have an eye on objective.

In your plan you should have an explanation that explains...

The images I'll be shooting are of the type that might be seen used in this operational context...

• Author image for a book sleeve or cover.
• Company reports.
• Corporate
• Editorial article about a person - image that accompanies an interview or similar
• Company profile image (Used on websites) formal.
• Self portrait - usually associated with art themes
• Documentary portraits - images that appear as a part of wider story.
• Album covers (musicians).
• Stock photography.
• Publicity - images supporting or promoting a companies activities (C2C posters).
• Prospectus and school photos.
• Advertising images with product placement/logos/products.
• Point of sale images (Advertising).
• Promotional - think celebrity images that cross over into editorial photos.
• Social photography - family.
• Art Photography generally associated with a human condition theme
• Competitions (With a specific brief).
• Fashion advertising.
• Fashion editorial.
• Actor performer portraits for promotion (Spotlight/Uglies/Mandy Network)

This then should be followed by details of a potential client and the audience with some details of the audiences demographic characteristics. You should include as part of your plan an example of professional photography with the same Operational context, that you then use as a baseline idea for what you're doing... A reference image for your starting point.

Needless to say, the same applies to other subjects and themes that you might choose to shoot. 

FMP Units

 Work in progress 4/2/26

This will be a walk through guide on how to layout your Unit 3 (Final Major Project) which will start Early March. If you follow the guidance and lay your work out in this suggested way it will hopefully enable you to work in a clearly constructed and coherent manner. What is important is that you work on one practical project at a time and don't move on to the next stage until you get the work (images) into your PPT and write-up your Reflection. 

Set your page so that the size if correct and that your power-point is the correct format. If you know you're going to photograph people for the most part set your pages so that they are 'Portrait format'. Also set the page to the A4 or A3 size proportions.

Write your name and the title of the assignment on your first page. 

0. Download proposal template (Word document). Use this to write up your proposal. Update it as you progress through the next 11 weeks. 

1. Analyse the brief 

2. Produce the research x 2 

You must adhere to the UAL rules with regards to the use of AI. Whenever you use AI you have to admit to doing so explain what you've used and done. 

*Additional research is advised throughout the work in order that it kick starts new ideas or supports using more experimental approaches to your work. 

Make sure you save the HTML links for the websites you get you images and information from in your Proposal in the "Research sources and bibliography" section after you've converted the links to the Harvard style references using Mybib. 

If you're looking to attain high grades use quotes in your work and cross reference the quotes with references. Make sure you quotes stand out as being different to the main text. 

3. Write up the post research reflection

4. Start to compile your proposal. At this stage you should have a pretty good idea of what it is you're going to be doing at this early stage. Your rationale should include the fact that you're going to produce the work in such a way that it challenges you and enables you to have the time to produce your work in a variety of experimental ways exploring a range of equipment, methods, materials, techniques and processes. You should also mention problem solving, the development of ideas through additional research, robust planning and reflective practice, the analysis of your own use of visual language, your identification of an operational context and it's audience and potential use and clients and issues around sustainability and ethics. 

*Remember, as you produce your project you will need to re-visit your proposal and update it so that it mirrors your activities seen in your project. 

5. Plan/Intention Write up this part in as much detail as possible. With the plan, use it as an opportunity to identify potential problems prior to them happening. 

• Explain your basic plan/intention.
• Identify a learning intention with regards your shoot.

 

6. "Execution" the production of the practical work in-line with the plan.

7. Reflection 

Once you've got this far you now repeat stage 5, 6 and 7 as frequently as you can developing your idea and photographic skills whilst being as experimental as you can. With further research you can steer your work into new creative directions in terms of photographic content or the idea and concept. In an idea world look to do a minimum of 1 shoot per fortnight and during the holiday breaks try and use that as opportunities to shoot on location with new backgrounds, new models or places and potentially better light. 

Finally leave time for a MEGA Reflection and check that your proposal mirrors what you've produced in your Design sheet.