Are you looking for ways to add depth to your creative images? Texture photography is a way to capture three-dimensional details and visually convey them in two dimensions. You can define texture in photography by capturing depth, contrast, and patterns to create unique and artistic photos with your iPhone.
Once you start looking for textures to photograph, you will see them everywhere. Texture is present in most scenes that you capture with your camera, but that doesn’t necessarily classify those images as texture photography. Think of texture photography as the creation of images where texture is the most important element that stands out from all the other details you are capturing.
Texture photography is the visual depiction of different variations in the color, shape, and depth of surface of an object you’re photographing. The secret to taking stunning photos that accentuate texture is using compositional tools, perspective, and post-processing techniques to highlight the textures in a scene.
In addition to the textures you capture with your camera, you can emphasize or even create texture in post-processing. In the Lightroom mobile app, there is a Texture slider you can use to adjust to increase or decrease the medium-size texture without compromising the fine details. The Texture slider in Lightroom is similar to the Clarity slider, but it doesn’t increase the clarity as much.
Ready to give texture photography a try? Here’s how to capture stunning texture photos with your iPhone.
The best textures are often found in small details that aren’t readily apparent to most viewers. Think about the intricacies of woven fabric, the patterns in the bark of a tree, or the peeling paint on an old piece of furniture. Capture the details of texture by using a macro lens to get closer than possible with the naked eye. The iPhone 13 can shoot stunning close-ups from just two centimeters, but if you haven’t upgraded, you can also purchase an external iPhone lens specifically designed for macro photography.
Because texture photography puts a lot of emphasis on the small details that create texture, it’s important to ensure that your image is sharp and in focus. One way to do this is to lock the focus point by holding your finger down on the screen where you want the camera to focus. You will see a yellow box around the focal point. Hold your hand steady (or use a tripod) while tapping the shutter.
Shooting from different angles will change your perspective as well as the way the light hits the textures in your photo. Don’t be afraid to experiment with unusual angles. Try shooting across a horizontally textured surface, behind a three-dimensional object, or at ground level.
Great lighting is important in all types of photography, but this is particularly true for texture photography. Shooting in harsh sunlight might create too many shadows and add too much contrast to your photos. Shooting in low light will have the opposite effect, and you may not be able to capture enough detail for the textures to really shine in your photo. Between these two extremes, you will find great light. Look for bright light that hits your subject from an angle. The soft shadows will add depth to the textures that might otherwise be missed. You can use your iPhone flash to fill in deeper shadows, provided the area is already well lit.
Need some inspiration for your next texture photography shoot? Here are some ideas you should try!
When it comes to texture photography, indoor and outdoor plants often steal the show. Photographing your local flora is a great way to practice texture photography while getting to know the natural world. Houseplants are a good place to start. Take a look at the intricate patterns you find in the leaves, the way the plant structure creates texture, or the inside of any flowers you find.
The juxtaposition of different textures can often create stunning compositions. Think about textures that might be considered opposites and consider how you might combine them in a photo. Shiny and smooth next to coarse and rough, velvety soft next cold and hard. You will find contrasting textures all over the place, but you can also create them yourself if you’re feeling stuck.
When manmade structures or items are left to decompose on their own, all kinds of cool textures start to evolve. Consider photographing old buildings, cars, or junkyards where you’ll find rusting metal, peeling paint, rotting wood, and crumbling bricks. These places are gold mines for texture photography.
Food photography is an entire genre that requires its own set of skills, but photographing food is also a great way to practice texture photography — and become a better cook in the process! The next time you plan a meal, consider all the different textures of the ingredients and how you can combine them for a visually appealing presentation. Not only will you have fun cooking, but you’ll be able to really focus on photographing different textures in food and how they work together.
Anytime you’re in a photography rut, plan a scavenger hunt based on a specific photography element that you’re working in. Head out with your camera with the sole intention of looking for textures in the world around you. You can do this in urban or rural environments using all the things you’ve learned about texture photography.
Before leaving home, make a list of different textures that you want to find on your scavenger hunt. Here are some examples:
Now that you have an idea of what you want to photograph, let’s look at how you can create more texture in your photos.
Emphasizing texture within your images is often a matter of adding contrast, detail, and clarity in post-processing. We talked a little bit about the Texture slider in the Lightroom mobile app, but here are a few more ways to emphasize texture to your images with Lightroom.
With texture photography, the ultimate goal is to make those three-dimension textures come to life in two dimensions. This is a great challenge that will improve your skill as a photographer.