← Photography syllabus

ScotlandPhotography

Image-Making Skills

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do the camera's three exposure controls - aperture, shutter speed and ISO - work together to capture a correctly exposed, creatively controlled photograph at Higher?

Camera handling and controls: aperture, shutter speed and ISO, the exposure triangle, and the camera modes (manual, aperture priority, shutter priority) that let you control exposure and creative effect deliberately.
How the camera's three exposure controls - aperture, shutter speed and ISO - work together as the exposure triangle, and how the camera modes let you control exposure and creative effect deliberately for SQA Higher Photography.
13 min answer →

How do photographers compose an image - using framing, viewpoint, the rule of thirds, leading lines and depth of field - to arrange a scene so it communicates clearly and holds the viewer's attention at Higher?

Composition and image-making: framing and cropping, viewpoint and angle, the rule of thirds and placement, leading lines, balance and the use of depth of field as a compositional tool to guide the viewer's eye.
How photographers compose images using framing, viewpoint, the rule of thirds, leading lines, balance and depth of field to arrange a scene so it communicates clearly and guides the viewer's eye, for SQA Higher Photography.
13 min answer →

How do photographers measure exposure and work with natural and artificial light to capture well-exposed images with the mood and quality they intend at Higher?

Exposure and light: light metering and correct exposure, the quality and direction of light, natural and artificial light sources, white balance, and using light deliberately for mood and effect.
How photographers measure exposure with the light meter and work with the quality, direction and colour of natural and artificial light - including white balance - to capture well-exposed images with intended mood for SQA Higher Photography.
13 min answer →

What range of photographic genres, techniques and processes - from portrait and landscape to long exposure, post-production editing and presentation - should a Higher candidate be able to apply to make imaginative images?

Genres, techniques and processes: the main photographic genres (portrait, landscape, still life, documentary and more), specialist techniques (long exposure, macro, shallow focus, panning), and the workflow of capture, post-production editing and presentation.
The range of photographic genres (portrait, landscape, still life, documentary), specialist techniques (long exposure, macro, panning), and the capture-to-presentation workflow including post-production editing, that Higher candidates apply to make imaginative images.
13 min answer →