One theme in particular the Photography students enjoy every year is ‘capturing motion’. It is an exercise designed to introduce and master the more technical workings of the camera, in particular shutter speed. The knowledge required can at first seem complex, but through experimentation and trial and error, students discover exactly how they can show movement, from blurred ‘traces’ of motion to ‘freezing time’ and showing events which are normally too fast for our eyes to see.

Photography requires preparation and understanding of how things work. Through a balance of research into established practitioners and their own photoshoots, students are able to learn through discovery and personal development, where they are always encouraged to try an idea out in order to ‘see what happens’.

Here is a small selection of work from this year’s GCSE students on the theme of ‘Capturing Motion’, incorporating a variety of techniques from studio lighting to darkroom photograms (which do not even require a camera!)