Photographing Texture : 3 Foolproof Ways To Maintain Texture When Photographing

when it comes to my photography lately, i have been focusing on maintaining texture within my images.  sometimes that means capturing crisp textures like falling drops of water on a waterfall or the smooth texture of my baby’s chubby cheeks.  no matter the texture, i have been more intentional about preserving that texture within my images, as a way of bringing more realism to my photos.  during this trial and error with textures, i have come across three different techniques that have made photographing texture quite easy.  the next time you would like to preserve texture within your image, consider trying one or more of the following tips.

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Photographing Texture : 3 Foolproof Ways To Maintain Texture When Photographing

1.  Slightly Underexpose

when presented with a subject that contains a lot of texture that i want to highlight, i have found that slightly underexposing my image can be really helpful when preserving the details.  in the image above, i really wanted to capture the texture of the falling water in the waterfall and decided to slightly underexposed my image, using my nikon d750, to preserve some of the details.  i was also very mindful to use a fast shutter speed to capture more texture as the water was falling.

2. Pair Hard and Soft

there is nothing like a direct comparison between hard and soft textures to really make the hard texture pop.  in the image above, i wanted to highlight the texture of the ripped opening of my jeans.  i decided to use a low aperture of f/1.4 on my wide angle lens to capture the crisp texture of the fabric, but to blur everything else softly around it.  because the rest of my photo softly falls into a blur, in comparison the ripped jeans take on an even more crisp texture.  this is a very effective way to create visual texture, by pairing hard and soft textures together.

3.  Consider Side Light

when you light your subject from the side you are allowing the light to fall over your subject, creating areas of highlight and shadow, and this can make textures really pop.  in the image above, the light source is coming from camera left.  as the light falls over the pedals of the flowers, it brings out the shadows that are buried deeper within the flowers and creates depth and texture.  consider how your light can help create shadows across your subject, as a way of creating texture.  should i have photographed this flower in full flat light, i wouldn’t have captured the beautiful shadows that bring out the ripples on the pedals and bring this flower to life and create realism.

photographing textures can be really important when you want to photograph the realistic textures of skin, food, and elements in nature.  as you are working towards maintaining texture within your photographs, be sure to consider your exposure, your lighting and your aperture when picking up your camera.  do you have any special tips for photographing texture?  be sure to share your insight with us in the comment section below!

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