One of the elements of the photography course which manages to incorporate a number of disciplines, from studio lighting to understanding flattering angles, is portraiture.

Arguably one of the most popular uses for photography upon its invention was its ability to capture the human likeness. Students study all forms of portraiture, from experimental depictions of the human face to journalism, identity, and of course the ubiquitous selfie.

This year, exercises consisted of working with coloured lighting gels, as well as investigating ‘chiaroscuro’, the art of depicting images with heavy darkness and light. For this students looked at the works of Erwin Blumenfeld, Nadav Kander, Bill Brandt, Fan Ho, to name a few, as well as artists such as Caravaggio and Felix Valloton. Inspiration can come from any medium, and once they got to grips with the technicalities of lighting (both indoors and outdoors), students were left to create inventive and memorable depictions of each other, as well as anyone else who would agree to model for them.

Here is a selection of work from this year’s GCSE students.