Texturing an image is something that requires not only time, but heavy creative mental space. Its not easy to do, especially with hundreds of interesting textures, and a lot of “what-if” thoughts running through your mind.I’ve written a few posts, and an article on how to texture photographs if you’d like to see the step-by-step. Article on texturing photographs
As I was working through my Oxford photos, I kept asking myself “would this make a good textured photograph”? The answer is almost always yes, but the more complex the image, the more advanced your texturing skills need to be. For example, I typically don’t texture portraits, or environmental portraits. I find the textures to fight for attention with the person I am photographing. Here are a few things to consider when deciding whether to texture an image:
- Is the subject simple and discreet? If the subject standouts from the background it can be easier to manipulate.
- Does the image have a “quiet” feel or emotion? I find I am more draw to textured images that are contemplative in style; they are serene. A quiet moment on the beach, a single flower in the late afternoon sun, etc.
- Can a texture enhance the “dead” space (usually the sky)? Textures are meant to make bad pictures great. Nothing can really do that. But they can add interest to large swaths of blank space like walls and skies.
These before and afters will give you a sense of how subtle or dramatic texturing an image can be.
For more inspiration, and to purchase a set of high-quality textures, checkout the Flypaper site.
pamphotography 