Adrian Arnell Photography

22/12/2023

Does maximum aperture matter?
You pay more for ‘fast’ lenses – but do you really need the speed?
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The maximum aperture in the lens description can be an important consideration when you’re looking for a new prime or zoom. Some zoom lenses have a range of apertures instead of a single aperture. This means that the maximum aperture gets smaller as you zoom. The Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM offers a constant f/4 maximum aperture throughout the zoom range for example, whereas the maximum aperture on the cheaper RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM decreases from f/4 at 24mm to only f/7.1 at 105mm.

The larger the maximum aperture, the more light it’s capable of letting into the camera – and the more light you have available, the faster the shutter speed can be. That’s why lenses with large maximum apertures are often described as being ‘fast’. A larger aperture makes it easier to shoot in low light or freeze action without having to push up the ISO too high. Fast maximum apertures also make it easier to achieve shallow depth of field effects. There are a number of other factors that affect the depth of field, including the distance you are from the subject, but opening the aperture wide is a simple way to make the subject stand out against a blurred background. If you shoot landscapes or other subjects where you need lots of depth of field, small maximum apertures are less of an issue.

The RF mount has been a game-changer when it comes to maximum aperture. The ability to autofocus at apertures as small as f/22 has opened up new opportunities for lens design. Take the RF 800mm F11 IS STM super-telephoto lens; thanks to its smaller maximum aperture, it’s more compact, lightweight and affordable than the RF 800mm F5.6L IS USM. Attach a 2x extender and it becomes a 1600mm f/22 lens with usable AF.

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Shooting for bokeh
A large maximum aperture, such as f/2.8 used here, gives you more freedom to explore shallow depth of field effects ■

13/09/2023

Raise ISO for aesthetics
Break the rules and work at maximum ISO to achieve a vintage analogue look

Insert Still life This is a nicely arranged scene, however, it doesn’t really stand out visually and is easily forgotten

Main Set back in time The overall photo has been enhanced by the increased haze and grain, giving it a nostalgic, vintage look

As photographers, we are advised to use the lowest possible ISO value to prevent distracting noise from creeping into our photos. But in some cases, this noise can actually add an intriguing and visually appealing effect. Skilfully combine an element of grain into your scene and you can achieve an analogue effect that visually recreates images taken with a vintage camera. However, this method presents us with a rather unusual challenge in that we have to try not to overexpose a frame in normal daylight conditions. But, with the correct camera settings, this can be quickly mastered.

A vintage look can also be achieved through camera tricks and image editing programs. Your camera’s menu may offer various colour profiles that can enhance the colour dynamics and, if you want to take pictures in black and white, you can always activate the in-camera Black & White function. By shooting without seeing the colours of the scene through the viewfinder, you will automatically see light and shadow differently in the composition.

Vintage photos are characterised by a lack of sharpness and by their coarse texture, so post-processing should take these characteristics into account. To achieve this, you can add even more noise and blur in editing software by moving the Dehaze slider to the extreme left. Finally, adding a border around the photograph enhances the look, as these are often present in old prints.

1

Arrange the scene To convey the style authentically, shoot objects or scenes that could be found in earlier times, such as an old piece of furniture or a framed picture. Choosing a more appropriate subject will enhance the effect and captivate the viewer.

2 Shoot in black and white Go to your camera’s menu, select the Creative Style option and activate the Black & White mode. If you prefer to use the viewfinder, don’t forget that to view the frame in monochrome, you may have to additionally enable this function.

3 Maximise ISO Select your camera’s manual mode and set the ISO at its highest value. Compensate for the exposure with a closed aperture of around f/22 and a fast shutter speed of about 1/1,250. This way, you won’t blow the highlights out in your shot.

4Customise white balance White balance settings are not just important for colour photography, they affect monochrome shots too. Depending on your preferences and the scene, choose a customised white balance to adjust the warmth of the frame.

5 Add a blur effect One way to recreate the blurry effect of old analogue images is to add a thin layer of vaseline on a UV filter. Experiment with the amount and your smearing technique to achieve different effects – and take care not to get any on your lens.

6 Shoot at 35mm For a more authentic vintage photographic look, why not shoot with an old-school focal length? Back in the day, 35mm was the standard lens for most analogue cameras, so it seems appropriate to use that for our retro experiment here.

21/08/2023

Angle for something better
Be creative with your angles to produce shots that are unique in their compositions,
When photographers talk about ‘camera angle’, they W are specifically referring to the position of the camera relative to the subject. Any scene or subject can be photographed from multiple camera angles, and choosing the right angle makes all the difference in the world to a viewer’s emotional response to the resulting image. In short, camera angles are always about the photographer’s personal viewpoint. Here’s your assignment for this month.

I want you to shoot a subject – any subject – from five different vertical angles. Then, when you’re editing the images later, determine which emotional response you like the best and think is the most flattering to the subject you’re photographing.

Three quick ways to improve your shots
Changing your camera angle is all about altering perspectives. When you change perspectives, you are changing the viewer’s psychological response to your photographs, which helps them connect more emotionally to your effort and work.

I tend to shoot a bird’s-eye view when I want the focus to be on the subject’s shape and form, and a worm’s-eye view when I want to create mystery and intrigue.

Normally, I use a combination of both high-angle and low-angle views. For high-angle views, think two or 10 o’clock on a watch face. For low-angle views, think of four or eight o’clock.

1 Get to eye-level
An eye-level angle is the most common and neutral of the camera angles. It’s often referred to as the “real world angle.”

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2 High angle
A high angle shows the subject from above. This angle can have the effect of making the subject look vulnerable or insignificant.

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3 Low angle
Shooting the subject from below will make the subject powerful, dominant, grand, threatening, or even intimidating.

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4 Worm’s eye-view
This angle is a view of an object from the ground, as though the observer were a worm. This is the opposite of a bird’s-eye view.

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5 Birds-eye view
Shooting the subject matter directly from above. It is often the most striking camera angle, but can be difficult to achieve.

Take it further
There are two other, lesser-known camera angles related to this topic. Both are equally powerful angles to generate different emotional reactions to your photos.

A POINT OF VIEW ANGLE (POV)
This attempts to show the viewer the image through the eyes of the subject, creating the visual illusion that we are seeing and experiencing the scene from the subject’s perspective.

A DUTCH ANGLE
This is also referred to as a canted angle or tilted angle. It is an angle in which the camera itself is tilted to the left or the right. Dutch angles often enhance tension..

24/07/2023

Adrian Arnell Photography

LEARN PHOTOGRAPHY With a real person and real feedback not via you tube with no feedback via 121 workshops , courses or zoom.

Photography courses and mentor program 121 or zoom by Award winning photographer for Anyone wishing to learn The ART of Photography from a teacher with 20 years experience, from just a couple of hours or short courses please message me at [email protected] and we can discuss your level of photography and how you want to learn either groups or 121 all levels beginner to expert and ages welcome as dbs checked thank you.

testimonials from customer ( great lesson ,very informative and easy to understand highly recommend, steve from chichester.

everything explained well and it made sense , learned alot , Amelia from brighton.

learnt a lot with easy instruction and feedback was invaluable , taylor london

Adrian Arnell Photography

LEARN PHOTOGRAPHY With a real person not you tube with no feedback via 121 workshops , courses or zoom.

Photography courses and mentor program 121 or zoom by Award winning photographer for Anyone wishing to learn The ART of Photography from a teacher with 20 years experience, from just a couple of hours or short courses please message me at [email protected] and we can discuss your level of photography and how you want to learn either groups or 121 all levels beginner to expert and ages welcome as dbs checked thank you.

testimonials from customer ( great lesson ,very informative and easy to understand highly recommend, steve from chichester.

everything explained well and it made sense , learned alot , Amelia from brighton.

learnt a lot with easy instruction and feedback was invaluable , taylor london

Explore the beauty of Chichester, West Sussex with Adrian Arnell Photography! Our bespoke photography tours will take you on a journey of discovery, capturing the stunning landscapes and moments of this stunning region. Get ready for an unforgettable experience

24/07/2023

Something fun to try
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To make your own cyanotypes without a darkroom, create a digital negative then expose it onto special sunprint paper. It’s easy and fun!
8 | CYANOTYPES
MAKE A SUNPRINT
The sun has well and truly come! Here’s how to create some cool artworks
As summer is here and the sun has appeared at last, you can use the brighter daylight conditions to create your very own homemade sunprints. But first things first, what on earth is a sunprint? Put simply, sunprint is a special type of UV light-sensitive photographic paper that’s based on the cyanotype process.
When you expose it to bright daylight, areas that block the sun’s light show up in white and the rest of the paper turns a vibrant blue. These blue prints have bags of character. You can either make prints of physical objects straight onto the paper or transfer images taken on your camera via a transparency sheet, which is the method we’re demonstrating for this project.
The beauty of this project is its simplicity. You don’t need a darkroom, fancy kit or even extensive knowledge of film processing to get started. Plus, unlike traditional photo prints, sunprints can be made without any photo chemicals at all, so they’re great to try out with enthusiastic children as an art or science project. See how you can transform your own digital pictures into authentic homemade photo prints using this easy process.
Generally, photos with high levels of contrast work best, as the final result will only be in blue monochrome. Images that are already in black and white lend themselves well to this technique, too. Avoid complex photos and those that rely on lots of tonal details.
This low-cost project will require a digital photo and a printer to create a negative to work from. Once this stage is complete, grab a bowl or tray filled with water, some sticky tape, sunprint paper and a piece of glass or Perspex – some sunprint kits come with this included, but you could always use glass from a cheap photo frame. Then, choose a sunny day and when the clouds do part, you can expose, develop, then rinse the paper in water and watch a beautiful, long-lasting image begin to appear, as if by magic.
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1 CONVERT YOUR IMAGE
In Photoshop, convert your digital image: invert the tones by going to Image > Mode > Greyscale, then Image > Adjustments > Invert (or press Ctrl/Cmd+I). You might want to boost the contrast of the negative a little before you proceed.
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2 PRINT YOUR IMAGE
Print your image out at the same size you want it to be on your sunprint. This might take a few tests and tweaks to your printer’s layout options. Print onto standard photo paper; if possible, print your images in black and white or greyscale.
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3 SETTING UP YOUR SUNPRINT
Place your negative image on top of the sunprint paper, with the blue side facing up. Line up the glass, negative, sunprint paper, and a piece of cardboard, then tape them together to stop them from sliding around. It is a good idea to set this up indoors or in the shade to stop the paper exposing too early.
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4 EXPOSE IN THE SUN
Now move everything into the sun and let the print bask for about 20 minutes. Then check the exposure of the sunprint paper by lifting a corner up from the frame; when the edges are white, it’s fully exposed. On a cloudy day, this process may need an extra five minutes or so.
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5 IMPRINT AND RINSE
When you can see a clear imprint of your image on the sunprint paper, it’s time to rinse your sunprint. Take it off the back of the glass and place it into the tray filled with ordinary tap water. It will change from a negative to a positive before your eyes.
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6 TAKE OUT AND DRY
After a few minutes, take your print out of the water and let it dry naturally. Don’t worry if it looks faint; the colours will deepen as the paper dries. Avoid touching the surface of the paper and, ideally, peg it up or lie it flat until it’s dry. Voila!

14/06/2023

Adrian Arnell Photography

Visit West Sussex for bespoke Photography & tourist Tours around stunning West Sussex the south downs and surrounding area.
From £120 per day(4-6 hours)(6-8 hours includes light lunch plus pick up from chichester station and transport , Group discounts available . 6 people max per day. covers all levels of photography by Adrian Arnell Photography LRPS. See some amazing sites and get a little history as well. Multiple locations in one day also boat tours on request subject to availability. please e.mail me at [email protected] with your requests thank you.
comments , great day of photography and local tour highly recommend , john from devon
amazing place and guide , photography knowledge great and fun had by all , becky from london.
great day and see alot of nice places well worth it highly recommended aran from new york
so join Adrian on a photography tour around chichester and the southdowns , all our tours are bespoke with light lunch and transport included , harbour tours are optional extras ,please note its not a workshop its a tour of the area to see amazing scenery and stop off at places of interest and to take our time to take some great photos with some guidance from me as a local with a lot of knowledge and history to tell with also 20 years of photography experience.
Adrian Arnell Photography LRPS

08/06/2023

Explore the beauty of Chichester, West Sussex with Adrian Arnell Photography! Our bespoke photography tours will take you on a journey of discovery, capturing the stunning landscapes and moments of this stunning region. Get ready for an unforgettable experience

08/06/2023

New Web Site

Explore the beauty of Chichester, West Sussex with Adrian Arnell Photography! Our bespoke photography tours will take you on a journey of discovery, capturing the stunning landscapes and moments of this stunning region. Get ready for an unforgettable experience

13/05/2023

Visit West Sussex for bespoke Photography Tours around stunning West Sussex the south downs and surrounding area.
From £120 per day(4-6 hours)(6-8 hours includes light lunch plus pick up from chichester station and transport , Group discounts available . 6 people max per day. covers all levels of photography by Adrian Arnell Photography LRPS. See some amazing sites and get a little history as well. Multiple locations possible in one day on request. please e.mail me at [email protected] with your requests thank you.
comments , great day of photography and local tour highly recommend , john from devon
amazing place and guide , photography knowledge great and fun had by all , becky from london.

so join Adrian on a photography tour around chichester and the southdowns , all our tours are bespoke with light lunch and transport included , harbour tours are optional extras ,please note its not a workshop its a tour of the area to see amazing scenery and stop off at places of interest and to take our time to take some great photos with some guidance from me as a local with a lot of knowledge and history to tell with also 20 years of photography experience.

Adrian Arnell Photography LRPS

08/05/2023

Garden bird project https://www.behance.net/gallery/170065713/Garden-birds?fbclid=IwAR3wEjwVlf9jhH5XsmaNcu7txbR0aAxWuv7oWJiIORNUN99UtnYH0HyfZO8

Photography,None