A Photographic Art Collection by Chris Page. During May 2020 and deep in the Coronavirus Lockdown; I took my daily walks though the empty streets and deserted beaches of the seaside town of Whitstable. With cameras slung over my shoulder I was out to capture these strange days. However, I soon began to realised that many of these locations I had photographed before in much happier times. It then became a retrospective walk though my back catalogue of photos to find the places where I could contrast two very different moments and moods in time. The Interaction of People from the back catalogue photos vibrantly stood out, compared to the emptiness of life in the Social Distancing of 2020. These shots then become my “Then&Now” collection of photographs. However, in writing this text nearly three years on I realise that “Now” is thankfully no longer “Now”, it has became another “Then”. May Coronavirus stay that way, and never become a “Now” again. “Life must go on, yes, but in the end — after the end — life was not important, just pictures on a screen, absorbing for as long as they lasted, causing us to weep and laugh, perhaps, but when the images are gone we step out blinking into the light.” Stephen Volk, Whitstable Lunchtime 1st May 2020 during Coronavirus Lockdown. This busy one-way system that runs through the seaside town would normally be bumper to bumper with traffic and people spilling off its narrow pavements. The Shop, Restaurants and Pubs that make Whitstable Harbour Street a destination, where Life gathers and interacts, now have their doors closed. On this day with a tripod in the middle of the road I took my time to get the shot I was after without fear of being run down by cars, and not a person in sight! July 2018, I set out to capture a picture of Life and the Social Interaction of Whitstable High Street, the movements of people, dogs and cars that all creates the vibe of the bustling street scene. I was pleased with the result, for me it incapsulated my memories of the Whitstable that I love as a child, without focusing on the beach of this seaside town. May 2020, I returned back to the same spot, but now deep in the Coronavirus Lockdown and with Social Distancing on the High Street; it had lost its vibe, lost its life and has become flattened. Even Her Royal Majesty now looks grey and lonely in her self-isolation on the wall. Boots the Chemist has changed its window display from a colourful sun cream promotion to a subdued "thank you to key workers" statement. The wet surfaces and stormy sky accentuated the oppressiveness of the national human story, which is lockdown and social distancing in our local communities. “Love, be mystical as the flickering blue flame of night as the fully-awoken moon beneath cobwebs of passing clouds amidst chanting high-tides fuzzy, as my blanket big enough to illuminate a hundred thousand billion galaxies and just small enough to fit into my embrace.” Sanober Khan, Turquoise Silence What is it that we are really missing in Lockdown ? I think I may have found it at the changing of the low-tide. But you decide. I just merely illuminated two flickering moments of time on a Whitstable beach. July 2016 and the annual Whitstable Oyster Festival is in full swing at the Harbour Market. The brass band plays a Glen Miller tune while people eat, drinks and enjoy this traditional coming together. May 2020, I stepped up onto the empty performance platform where the band once played and I looked out over a deserted Harbour. Just two lone people walk a dog on wet concrete pass the closed-up huts of the Market. There will be no Oyster Festival this year! To find a free space in this Whitstable Car Park can be very hit and miss in the busy Summer months, but in May 2020 it’s not a problem. Take your pick of the 260 parking bays, it’s completly empty in Lockdown. In its emptiness a young woman exercise her dog, throwing a ball across the wide open expance of Tar Mac. Now put into good use as a dogs playground. Available as Photographic “Custom Finish” Fine Art & Photo Prints, framed or unframed. Photography created as beautiful pieces of Wall Art for you to invest and enjoy, exclusively from OPENPHOTO-STUDIO. Explore & Discover a World of Photographic Art

Top Tips for Stepping into the Dark When the sun downs down it's a great time for you to explore the Night with your camera. It's all about the light, or the lack of light to create the mood of the moment, discover the many variation of darkness that you can use. I love that magical time when the sun has just fallen below the horizon and you are on the edge of day becoming night. Equally, it could be the dead of night with a jet black sky and the stars shining bright. Step out and become aware of the differences with or without Moonlight and all its stages between, and the effect it has on your photography. Re-engage yourself with the Night, we now live in a world filled with Artificial Light and it is very easy to forget our ancestral past when there was none, only the darkness. May I recommend a wonderful book to read before you get started - Under the Stars by Matt Law. Although not directly about photography this book retunes us into looking at the rhythms of the night in a very different way, and with that it can only but help how you become a nocturnal photographer. However, the use of Artificial Light will be dominate in your photography, just walk the streets at night and you can’t avoided it, but see if you can use it in a creative way. Think of it as painting with light on a canvas of darkness. Have fun with it, even add your own extra light to create some extra dramatic effects. The great thing about night photography is that there are no rules, even your camera will not perform the same way as it does in daylight, be prepared to fail, but also be prepared to capture something really special. Here are my Top Tips that I found works for me, some of these tips may seem obvious, however others I have only found out when things went wrong! With practice you will find your own way of doing things and getting the best out of your equipment and the situations you find yourself in. Planning Before stepping out into the night I always try and pre-plan where, when and what I want to achieve. Having a loose plan in mind helps me gather what equipment I need to take, you don’t want any more than you need , but equally forgetting a vital bit can be very frustrating in the dead of night. With little bit of preparation it can make a big difference in having a successful night of photography. Check to see what the weather may be doing and what you need to wear. Work out what the condition of the sky is likely to be, will it be clear or cloudy. Find out what phase the Moon is and its movement across the sky for the night. If you are photographing night time Seascapes find out the tide times. Get any maps together as to where you are going and work out a route before hand. Think about your timing, when to start and finish to get the best out of the night. There has been times for particular locations when I have done a daylight visit first. It's so much easier in places you don’t know to check it out first in daylight, rather than turn up in in darkness and be complete confused what to do and where to go. Everything looks so very different in the dark! Tripod 99% of the time I use a Tripod for night photography. I have three different sizes to choose from; Large & Heavy, Medium & Sturdy, Compact & Lightweight. Depending on the accessibility of the location and how far I have to walk usually determines which one I will use. However, some shots such as Star Trails you are going to need a heavyweight, so don’t forget you will need to carry this. Without a Tripod you will find that you will limit yourself considerably what you are able and need to do with your camera, a tripod is literally your foundation that all will develop from. Shot Manual Turn off all Auto Exposure facilities on your camera, you need to be photographing in full Manual mode to be able to control all aspects of the exposure. I also tend to turn off Auto White Balance and give it my own single pre-set value. This means in Post Production I know exactly what all my photos are set to and can make adjustments from this single point. If it was on Auto then every image could have different values making it difficult in making overall adjustments. For those of you that have it, make sure you capture images in RAW format, this will allow you the maximum editing opportunities Post Production. If you don’t have a RAW setting on your camera don’t let that stop you shooting in JPG. ISO Why bother taking a Tripod, just ramp up the ISO and Handhold? That’s not my preferred way if you want high quality clean images and have the flexibly to shoot at lower speeds. I tend to do quite the reverse, I shoot at very low ISO at night and slow speeds, so I really need that Tripod. However, there has been times when I have handheld at a high ISO to get a shot because using a tripod was not appropriate or possible. In these cases it is better to get the shot at high ISO rather than not getting it at all, you just have to do more work in Post Production to reduce the noise out of the image. Speed With the benefit of your camera mounted on a tripod you can shoot at very slow speeds, not possible when handheld. To create light movement in your photographs such as car lights etc then you will need to play around with the camera speed at the lower end. It's a bit of trail and error to find the correct setting and waiting for the best moments to fire the shutter, but that’s all part of the fun. Overtime you will develop your own gut feel when you start put your camera to the test of this type of photography. Don’t forget to use some form of remote shutter release to negate any camera shake, if you don’t have one of these then put the camera on a short self-timer setting for firing without your hands on the camera. Aperture If you are running at lower speeds on you camera this gives you lots of flexibility with your aperture settings. The thought maybe that when shooting in low light conditions you need to open your aperture right up to allow as much light into the camera. Well this may not be the best when thinking about the depth of field. Imagine your night shot exactly as if it was in bright daylight, what aperture setting would you use then? Better to slow the speed and have your aperture reduced for a better depth of field. Also if you are after a “Star Burst” effect from streetlights and alike then a small aperture is going to create this for you. Play around with different aperture setting for the same shot (adjusting your speed accordingly) to see what works out better for you. Focusing If you are in very dark conditions and can be very difficult at times for Auto Focus to work correctly. One thing you can do is temporarily maximise your ISO so that you can see the view through your camera, turn Auto Focus off and adjust the focus manually. You will need to lock this focus in, I use a small strip of tape around the focus ring to stop myself accidentally moving it. Once the focus is set you can now readjust the ISO to the correct setting you want. Condensation Yes, Condensation on your lens can be a big issue when photographing late at night. There has been times when I have thought I had a perfect shot in the camera, and it was not until later after I had downloaded the image onto my computer screen did I then see that there is water droplet in the middle of the picture! Always carry plenty of dry lens cloths as condensation can happen at anytime at night and can be really hard to spot, keep checking the front of your lens. For very long exposures (an hour or two) I have even had to resort to using heated elements around the lens, like the ones they use on astronomical telescopes to stop condensation forming on the glass. Batteries Make sure to have fully charge spare batteries with you. You will find photographing at night and in the cold will drain your camera battery much quicker. Because you will be doing longer exposures and likely be using the Live View Screen on the back of your camera a lot more power is being used than would be normally during daylight photography. The Bits & Bobs Take a Torch - White light and Red light, and a head torch frees up your hands. Warm Cloths - it can get cold out there at night, a hat helps reduce heat loose. Gloves - I use thin gloves so I can still feel the camera, but the camera body gets cold. Footwear - ware sturdy walking boots if you are going into rugged terrane. Food & Drink - in remote locations you will be pleased you brought these with you. Mobile Phone - for emergencies and great for map app’s (if you have a signal). Finally, be prepared for the unexpected! Things can and do happen at night so be super aware and keep safe, but ultimately have a great time and produce some amazing photographic results. There are many other things I could talk to you about Night Photography; creating Star Trails, Light Painting, Post Products and Editing, plus lot’s more……….but that’s for another time. Look out for more of our blogs from OPENPHOTO-STUDIO. All The Best - Chris Available as Photographic “Custom Finish” Fine Art & Photo Prints, framed or unframed. Photography created as beautiful pieces of Wall Art for you to invest and enjoy, exclusively from OPENPHOTO-STUDIO. Explore & Discover a World of Photographic Art

A Photographic Art Collection What is it about Lighthouses that touches us so very differently from any other type of building? Is it the romantic sense of loneliness? But if that was so why do those that are not isolated still have a magic about them? ​ As an ongoing Photographic Art collection Chris Page has brought together his photographs of these amazing structure’s, as a ongoing project. Here is just one location that Chris talks about how he went about capturing the beautiful images. Photographing Beachy Head I realised that I had to plan my forthcoming photographic shoot to Beachy Head like a military campaign, all had to be spot on to get the most out of the difficult location in a short window of time. Weather, Tides, Access Routes, Travel and Walking Times all had to be taken into account to capture the best of the early morning light. I started my car journey at 3.00am to arrive on the South Downs cliff tops by five and still in the dark. With the small beam of light from my head torch I picked my way down the steep narrow path to Cow Gap at the base of the cliffs and foreshore. Once on the beach I was presented with a mile long walk in the dark over large rocks and boulders on a receding tide towards the lighthouse. With 10kg of camera equipment strapped to my back and a tripod used as a walking stick, slip sliding my way for a more than an hour towards the distant blinking light. Rock falls are a constant treat from the 530ft high white chalk cliffs, but staying away from its base was not always an option in finding a route through between them and the sea. By 6.30am I had reached my goal with the light from the rising sun rapidly now starting to appear on the horizon. With a quick camera set-up and tripod perched on a high chalk rock fall I composed my first shot, and then waited, waited for the magic of the light to arrive. For the next hour I remand fixed in my concentration of what was before me. Moving only to play with the long exposures settings and tweaking the camera position as the clouds, sea and light constantly changed. There is great pleasure in being alone in such a place, with only the sound of the wind and sea to fill the space between your ears, along with the occasional barking of seals looking for breakfast. By 7.30 morning had fully arrived and time to move on. It was now a retrace back to my starting point, but this time photographing viewpoints I had not seen on my original track in the dark. Also with the tide rushing out there was now lots of extra space away from the base of the cliffs to walk over the glinting pools on flatted weather sea rock. Finally arriving back at Cow Gap all that now remained was the hike back up the steep cliff path. By 10 o’clock I arrived back at the car; huffing, puffing and dripping in sweat, but feeling pretty chuffed that the mission I set myself was accomplished! Available as Photographic “Custom Finish” Fine Art & Photo Prints, framed or unframed. Photography created as beautiful pieces of Wall Art for you to invest and enjoy, exclusively from OPENPHOTO-STUDIO. Explore & Discover a World of Photographic Art

Explore & Discover PHOTOGRAPHIC ART Welcome to our World Lighthouse Collection People Collection Welcome to our World 1/16 Welcome to our World, find what belongs in yours! To the Gallery Photographing the Dunes Photographer Franky Craig Photographer Mike Rossi Photographing the Dunes 1/4 Creative Photography Photographic Art by Chris Page & Other Talented Photographers from around the World About Us NEW COLLECTION LIGHTHOUSE The Story So Far What is it about Lighthouses that touches us so differently from any other type of building? Is it the romantic sense of loneliness? But if that was so why do those that are not isolated still have a magic about them? As an ongoing collection Chris Page has brought together his photographs of these amazing structure’s, as a story so far. View the Collection NEW COLLECTION LOCKDOWN Whitstable Then & Now During May 2020 and deep in the Coronavirus Lockdown Chris Page took daily walks though the empty streets and deserted beaches of the seaside town of Whitstable. With cameras slung over his shoulder he was out to capture these strange days. However, he soon began to realised that many of these locations he had photographed before in much happier times View the Collection NEW COLLECTION GHOSTS IN SUBURBIA A Tribute to the Spirits in our Lives An intriguing collection of photographic art, created as a tribute to the much held belief by cultures all around the world that Spirits remain as part of our daily lives. Beautifully crafted by Mike Rossi & Chris Page who bring the possibility of these scenarios visually into life! View the Collection NEW COLLECTION INHERITANCE What have the shack-dwellers of today inherited? What inheritance do they leave for their children? Photographed by Mike Rossi capturing the people and their environment in the Informal Settlement of South Africa. An extensive and powerful collection of photographic art that provokes an emotional response from every beautifully crafted image. View the Collection Grow Your Vision Visit our Blog Posts covering Photography, Photographic Art, Fine Art & Photo Prints, Framed Prints & Wall Art and other related topics from OPENPHOTO-STUDIO. BLOG POSTS

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PHOTO PRINTS A prime consideration for us is what paper is used in the printing of a photograph. Every type of paper creates a different outcome in the printing process, an identical image can look very different across the many paper types. When a particular paper is used you will see it referred to in the specification details of any photographic art you may select from the Studio Shop . ​ Photo Paper is used when wanting to create vibrant colours, bright white's, deep blacks and all the tones between. Photo Paper surface finishes range from Matte through too High Gloss and Metallic, with each one creating its own particular look. ​ Below are a few of the Photo Paper types we use with their various characteristic's. Please note that the paper selection can change from time to time with stock availability, change in manufacture or supplier. For any help or advice please do not hesitate to Contact Us .