New
New
Photography: the influence of sources on photographic investigations
I can research, record, and annotate a photographer’s work, and show how their ideas, style, or techniques connect to my own.
Lesson 9 of 9
New
New
- Year 10
Photography: the influence of sources on photographic investigations
I can research, record, and annotate a photographer’s work, and show how their ideas, style, or techniques connect to my own.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Researching photographers helps us understand their ideas, style, techniques, and context.
- Context can include cultural, historical, material, and social influences on a photographer’s work.
- Annotation means describing, analysing, interpreting, and making a personal response to images.
- Research should inspire our own photography, not by copying, by adapting techniques and linking them to our themes.
Keywords
Research - investigation into and study of information to establish facts and reach conclusions
Source - a place from which something, in this instance images or information, originates
Context - the circumstances that form the setting of an idea, event or photographic work
Annotation - notes and comments that accompany work
Common misconception
Research is separate from making work.
Research feeds directly into experimentation and outcomes.
Keep reminding students to link back to their own theme. That way, research never feels separate from making, and students avoid description with no connection.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Why is research important in photography?
Why is research important in photography?
to copy another photographer’s work exactly
to avoid having to take photographs yourself and save time
to make your sketchbook look full of reference images
Q2.True or false? A source in photography can only be a famous exhibition in a big city.
True or false? A source in photography can only be a famous exhibition in a big city.
True, it is important that you only reference famous photographers.
True, reliable sources in photography are usually photographic exhibitions only.
Q3.Match the type of source to its strength:
Match the type of source to its strength:
Q4.Why is it important to share your ideas and describe your intentions when researching and responding to photographic sources?
Why is it important to share your ideas and describe your intentions when researching and responding to photographic sources?
It shows how you copy other photographers exactly.
It makes your portfolio look more colourful and detailed.
It avoids having to do annotations around the research images.
Q5.Why is it useful to make a mind map before starting research?
Why is it useful to make a mind map before starting research?
It avoids having to use reliable sources.
It helps you skip annotation.
It ensures you only research one photographer.
Q6.True or false? Context (historical, cultural, material, or social) has no impact on how a photographer’s style develops.
True or false? Context (historical, cultural, material, or social) has no impact on how a photographer’s style develops.
