Twelve Elements of Composition
Tips for Remarkable Photographs

Part 6-Using textures

I love texture. Texture creates subtle interest without detracting from the subject especially in portraiture.  What exactly is texture?  Texture is bumpy stuff like an oil canvas painting, the parts dust collects on, ribbing of a cable sweater, peeling paint, hair, grass, basically anything not smooth. 

Texture gives something for light to bounce over and around.  A really light solid shirt reflects too much light back and becomes a hot spot and a solid black shirt sucks up all the light giving you a flat, lifeless black hole and a floating head. Although I love sci-fi and black holes are amazing, I do not want them in my photos. 

 For you beginning studio owners, get an actual cable knit sweater, or a waffled piece of fabric, anything to demonstrate to the client in person what texture is in addition to showing good images.  I have found working with many clients over the years that if I don’t really explain it and use visuals, the customer really doesn’t get it, but they don’t know that they didn’t get it. They sometimes mistake a variety of colors as texture.  Plaids and strips are not texture, save that for decorating.

Great texture is found in all of nature. I was so fascinated with this species of palm in Hawaii. 

A cable knit sweater is great texture. Hair is texture also!

About Barb 
Barb Gordon, of www.BarbGordonPhotoCoach.com, is a Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsman, and Certified Professional Photographer with the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) to which she has belonged since 1984. She is a nationally published and award winning photographer, entrepreneur, speaker, and author including being published in the prestigious PPA Loan Collection 2006, PPA Showcase 2003, twice named Iowa’s Top Ten Photographer of the Year, and 2010 Iowa’s Master Photographer of the Year.