4.1.4 Photographs & Pictorial Material

Exam code: 2217

Written by: Ashika|Reviewed by: Caroline Carroll|Updated 2 July 2026

Observation	Description
Physical features	Vegetation, climate, relief, drainage, distinct features (cliff, river, desert, landslide etc) rocky outcrops etc.
Human features	Grouping of buildings - offices, homes, factories etc. Urban or rural or fringe settlements. Industry and transport developed or developing areas and general condition of features. Busy, quiet, modern, old etc.
Relief	Height and shape of ground surface, named features, overall appearance
Agriculture	Animals - type and spread, vegetation type - grass, barren, sparse etc. Land type - arable or pasture, ploughed or fallow, crops or harvested etc. Types of farm buildings and machinery and condition
Settlements	Rural or urban, features of buildings, types of buildings, use of settlements and buildings, spacing between or among buildings - linear, dispersed nucleated
Housing	Size and storey - bungalow, large, multi-storey, skyscraper etc. number of windows, are there building plots or vacant sites, on the urban fringe or new build etc.

Exam tip

I am looking at a photograph of a black cat and describe it as having:
- Long tail, pointed ears, long whiskers, four paws and black fur
Now I look at a photograph of my pet cat and describe her:
- Jess has black fur with a little bit of white on her tummy. Her fur is soft, and she has long whiskers and a stubby tail. Jess has sharp claws and purrs a lot, even though she has lost a tooth, she can still bite when she is annoyed.
Note the difference? The first describes a cat, the second one describes a cat I know, but the photo wouldn't tell me that the cat has long claws, lost a tooth, bites, purrs or has soft fur.
Always remember to say what you can see in the photograph ONLY

Strengths	Limitations
Things can be left out of the sketch if they are not relevant to the enquiry	The scale in the sketch may be inaccurate
Smaller important areas can be more detailed	Important details may be missed
Gives a broad overview of the features	The sketch may contain inaccuracies which affect the analysis for example more litter than there actually was at the site
Helps recall of key features

In the exam, sketching and labelling key features from a photographs is sometimes asked
Total accuracy or artistic prowess is not assessed, however, important features such as rivers, coastlines, hills, etc. must be identified
Follow the geographical rules for sketching:
- Draw a box to frame the sketch
- Always draw in pencil
- Use colour to highlight a feature
- Use a ruler for straight lines and arrows
- Arrow goes to the feature not the label
- Never cross arrow lines
- Write horizontally to the arrow in pen

Photographs & Pictorial Material