AP Photography Portfolio Overview
What is AP? • AP--aka Advanced Placement Courses-- are college level classes that are taught in high school.
• The syllabus of an AP class must be
approved by the College Board, a nonprofit group that develops, distributes and scores tests and portfolios for the AP Program.
• AP classes are weighted higher toward your GPA than ordinary classes
Why should you take an AP Studio Art Class? • Because you love art and photography • Because you like to challenge yourself • Because you want to develop a portfolio • Because colleges like to see that you are
willing to challenge yourself by taking higher level courses.
• BECAUSE YOU CAN GET COLLEGE
CREDIT IF YOU SCORE HIGH ENOUGH!
What is the AP Portfolio?
•
In the AP Studio Art Classes, students do not take a test, they turn in a portfolio of their art work which is judged and scored on a variety of specific criteria.
•
Among other things, the portfolio will be judged on its use of "Principles of Design":
Unity/Variety Balance/Emphasis/Contrast Rhythm Repetition Proportion/Scale
Figure/Ground Relationships
Why isn’t there an AP Photography Portfolio listed on the AP website?
• There is not a separate AP Photography Portfolio.
• Photography students turn in their portfolio as an AP 2-D Design Portfolio
There are three sections to each student Portfolio
• Breadth • Concentration • Quality
BREADTH
is a collection of 12 art works demonstrating your ability to work in a variety of ways. Your Breadth images will be uploaded to the AP Website.
These are the descriptors the AP Readers use when scoring your the work in your Breadth section of the portfolio: A. Broad Investigation of 2-D Design Principles B. Originality and Innovative Thinking C. Application of 2-D-Design Principles to Broad Range of Design Problems D. Purpose and Intention in the Compositional Use of the Elements and Principles of Design E. Confident, Evocative Work That Engages the Viewer F. Technical Competence and Skill with Materials and Media G. Appropriation and the Student “Voice� H. Image Quality (for Weak and Poor Breadth Sections Only) I. Overall Accomplishment and Quality In applying these descriptors, Readers consider content, style & process.
CONCENTRATION is a collection of 12 art works that demonstrate your ability to develop and explore ideas, concepts, and produce a coherent and focused body of original work around a chosen theme. Your Concentration images will be uploaded to the AP Website. Students will also write a brief commentary explaining the theme of their concentration and how the work reflects and explores that theme. These are the descriptors the AP Readers use when scoring your the work in your Concentration section of the portfolio: A. Integration of the Topic of the Concentration and the Work Presented B. Decision Making and Discovery Through Investigation C. Originality and Innovative Thinking D. Evocative Theme and Engagement of the Viewer E. Understanding and Application of 2-D Design Principles F. Growth and Transformation G. Technical Competency and Skill with Materials and Media H. Appropriation and the Student “Voice� I. Image Quality (for Weak and Poor Concentration Only) J. Overall Accomplishment and Quality In applying these descriptors, Readers consider content, style & process.
QUALITY consists of the five best art works from Breadth and/or Concentration. Art works should demonstrate mastery of design in composition, concept & execution. These 5 images are printed, mounted and mailed in an actual portfolio to the AP College Board. These are the descriptors the AP Readers use when scoring your the work in your Quality section of the portfolio: A. General Use of Design Elements to Investigate the Principles of TwoDimensional Design B. Decision Making and Intention in the Compositional Use of the Elements and Principles of Design C. Originality, Imagination, and Invention D. Experimentation and Risk Taking E. Confident, Evocative Work and Engagement of the Viewer F. Technical Competence and Skill with Materials and Media G. Appropriation and the Student “Voice� H. Overall Accomplishment and Quality
In applying these descriptors, Readers consider content, style & process.
Digital Submission Breadth & Concentration Sometime around February, you will be able to create an AP Portfolio account and begin Uploading your art works to this account. Digital images must meet a specific size criteria to be uploaded.
“Reading� the digital submissions
Three different readers score each portfolio. They do not see the scores that other Readers have given the portfolio. This is called a triple blind scoring. The student name, address and school are not seen by the Readers.
AP Readers scoring the digital submissions
Quality Section Portfolio Submission
At the end of April, you will choose, print & mount the 5 works for your Quality section. Portfolios must be mailed to AP by May 11.
Last year AP scored 44,000 portfolios, 23,000 were 2-D Design portfolios, 17,000 were drawing portfolios & 4,000 were 3-D Portfolios
Unpacking the portfolios
The Quality section of the portfolio consists of your 5 best pieces from either Concentration or Breadth. Three AP Readers look at each portfolio and score it from 1-6, based on a rubric. The student name, address and school are not seen by the Readers.
The final Score for your portfolio is based on your scores from all three sections, Quality, Breadth and Concentration. These sections each receive a score from 1-6. However, in the end, students receive one score for the entire portfolio. This final score can be from 1-5. Students and teachers do not see student scores for each section, only the final, all encompassing score.
If one of the three scores is extremely different from the other two, then the portfolio is handed over to a table leader to make a judgement on which score they believe is more accurate.
After the portfolios have been scored, then, they are sent back to the students home addresses. Students usually receive their portfolios back by the end of June.
Your score will be mailed to your home address in early July. Scores of 3 or higher are considered passing. Most colleges & universities will give you some credit for scores of 3-5, but each school is different, so check with the schools you are interested in to see what they do.
Past Examples From Morton West AP Photography Student Portfolios
Concentration: Stages of Life By Dejan Bosanac Portfolio Score: 5
Breadth by Dejan Bosanac Portfolio Score: 5
Concentration: Hands By Cinthia Perlata Portfolio Score: 3
Breadth By: Raquel Martinez Portfolio Score: 3
Jamie Espana Concentration: Boxed In By Social Norms Portfolio Score 4
Jamie Espana Concentration: Boxed In by Social Norms
Jamie Espana Concentration: Boxed In by Social Norms
Concentration: Idioms By: Diana Pietrzyk Portfolio Score of 5
Concentration: Idioms By: Diana Pietrzyk
Breadth By: Diana Pietrzyk Portfolio Score of 5
Breadth By: Diana Pietrzyk