It is very important to evaluate and analyse the work of your chosen photographer rigorously, not only to achieve good marks but also to help you to build a greater insight into and understanding of their work and the motives behind it.

Use the prompts below to guide you in this process. Your analysis must flow grammatically as one piece of written work and cannot be simply brief and direct responses to the questions.

A Guide to evaluating a Photograph:  Content, Form, Process and Mood

Content – looking at the subject of the photograph

What is it? What is it about? What is happening?

Where and when was it taken?

What do you think that the relationship between the photographer and subject/s is?

What does the photograph represent?

What has the photographer called the photograph?

Does the title change the way we see the photograph?

Is it a realistic depiction?

Have any parts been exaggerated or distorted? If so, why?

What is the theme of the photograph?

What message does the photograph communicate?

Form – looking at the formal elements

Colour -Is the photograph colour or black and white? How does this affect the mood?

Tone -Is the photograph high or low contrast? How and why?

Line -What sorts of lines are there in the photograph? How have they been positioned in relation to the rest of the composition? What effect does this have?

Shape -What sorts of shapes are there in the image? Doe they remind you of anything? Do you think the photographer meant this? What kind of marks does the photographer use?

Pattern/Texture -What kinds of patterns and/or textures are there in the photograph?

Process – how the photograph has been taken, developed/manipulated and printed

Was the photograph taken inside or outside?

What time of day?

How was it lit? How may light sources can you make out? What is the evidence for this?

What materials and tools have been used?

Has the photograph been manipulated or distorted in any way? How and why?

Mood – looking at the communication of moods and feeling

How does the photograph make you feel?

Why do you think you feel like this?

Does the colour, texture, form or theme of the photograph affect your mood? How and why?