These portfolios have been verified as within the Excellence grade range.

These portfolios present evidence that meet the criteria consistent with The New Zealand Curriculum, Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007. Criteria relate to the following strands in Visual Arts, Level: 6 Understanding the Arts in Context; Developing Practical Knowledge; Developing Ideas; Communicating and Interpreting.

These candidates have shown the ability to:

• show fluency throughout the work, both technically and conceptually, with initial purpos
• use appropriate artist models to extend and used with assured photographic techniques
• advance ideas that build into regeneration
• select the most successful options to explore and advance further
• show confidence in the use of photographic media and techniques

Student 1

This portfolio has been verified as placed in the high range of the Excellence grade range as it clearly fulfils the criteria for Excellence:

• there is consideration of documentary with the addition of creativity
• the critical capacity to select imagery with a high level of understanding is apparent
• a solid high level of analysis and decision making is evident throughout both boards
• the sequences show a high level of generation and consideration of placement and size of photographs
• the folio develops, extends and regenerates from start to finish at a high level of PPMT (Processes, Procedures, Materials and
  Techniques) throughout the boards.
• a strong understanding of established and contemporary photography practice is shown.

Student 2

This portfolio has presented sufficient evidence to achieve Excellence but would be placed more securely in the grade range if:

• more close editing in some of the sequences on both boards was evident
• some of the ideas proposed on Board 1 were extended further to demonstrate more regeneration.
• Board 2 had taken new directions.

These portfolios have been verified as within the Merit grade range.

These portfolios present evidence that meet the criteria consistent with The New Zealand Curriculum, Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007. Criteria relate to the following strands in Visual Arts,
Level: 6 Understanding the Arts in Context; Developing Practical Knowledge; Developing Ideas; Communicating and Interpreting.

These candidates have shown the ability to:

• reveal purposeful inquiry of studio photography
• control lighting and composition
• purposefully select cultural identity and symbolism
• explore themes and subjects with a range of new viewpoints and camera angles
• generate, develop, and extend ideas from the onset with clear formal elements of Photography
• group images sequentially comparing to two contrasting identities
• establish a clear proposition from the onset, investigating cultural identity

Student 3

This portfolio is approaching Excellence as it shows some evidence of:

• evidence of fluency in its use of lighting and digital Photography techniques
• well-structured and systematic ideas with new directions suggested through the selection of appropriate artist models which allow the student to extend ideas further.

To be awarded Excellence it would need more evidence of:

• regeneration of ideas on the second board
• a closer consideration and consistency of some conventions such as composition and exposure
• selection of the best options to move into a more diverse direction.

Student 4

This portfolio has been verified as placed in the middle of the Merit grade range as it clearly fulfils the criteria for Merit:

• there is evidence of deeper and broader exploration of the subject matter, particularly on Board 2
• uses scale and hierarchy of images to show clarification of thinking
• successfully shifts and extends on traditional documentary to contemporary documentary practice
• demonstrates a confident range of formats and sequences to clearly investigate and extend ideas. Shows consistent control of the photography conventions used such as lighting, colour and focus.

Student 5

This portfolio has present sufficient evidence to achieve Merit but would be placed more securely in the grade range if:

• another series or pictorial ideas had been explored further in Board 2 to extend ideas.

These portfolios have been verified as within the Achieved grade range.

These portfolios present evidence that meet the criteria consistent with The New Zealand Curriculum, Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 2007. Criteria relate to the following strands in Visual Arts,
Level: 6 Understanding the Arts in Context; Developing Practical Knowledge; Developing Ideas; Communicating and Interpreting.

These candidates have shown the ability to:

• create a systematic body of work
• understand photographic conventions
• make decisions and explore smaller series of works.

Student 6

This portfolio is approaching Merit level performance as it shows some evidence of:

• use of repeated images to try to extend ideas in Board 2
• some purpose in the sequencing of ideas
• consistent control of Photography and Photoshop conventions
• exploration of ideas in the investigation.

As a narrative/documentary submission it drops off at the bottom of Board 2 which limits the opportunity to provide a clear extension of ideas.

To be awarded Merit it would need more evidence of:

• purposeful investigation of pictorial conventions
• extending and exploring the journey earlier in the submission
• better sequencing, editing and organising of the successful sequences of the individual works to further explore the pictorial ideas to show extension of ideas.

Student 7

This portfolio has been verified as placed in the middle of the Achieved grade range as it clearly fulfils the criteria for Achievement:

• pictorial elements are defined on board 1
• a narrow investigation of subject matter is explored, consistent with the groups of images, producing a small exploration of ideas within the documentary approach
• a variety of photo conventions such as scale, cropping and ordering would place this in a higher achieved range as well as more exploration within the use of pictorial conventions.

Student 8

This portfolio has presented sufficient evidence to Achieve but would be placed more securely in the Achieved grade range if:

• there was more systematic exploration of the pictorial ideas in the sequencing of the individual works
• a longer journey of the development of the ideas was evident
• the candidate revisited the subject matter to allow ideas to evolve more methodically and systematically.