When we use texture in photo composition, we are attempting to make the surface qualities of the subject an important visual element in the composition.
Lighting for Texture
You have to be mindful of how light affects the way we can process textural information. So try to look at the same object when:
- Light falls on it from the front vs. from the side
- Light is strong vs. light is soft e.g. bright sun, overcast, or filtered sun
Wetness changes appearance of texture. A street wet with rain looks different than that when dry. This change may make an object worthy of making it part of a photographic composition. An umbrella in rain looks quite different from an umbrella in sun.
I took the picture at White Sands National Monument, New Mexico on bright sunny morning. Frontal light is not good for picking up textural information. Sidelight is good. However, it does matter if you should use strong side light or soft side light. The choice is yours and depends on what you are photographing and the effect you are looking for. Softer light is needed for finer texture if you are working at close range – otherwise surface details will be lost in the strong shadows cast by the stronger light.
Textural Patterns
Using texture in photo composition goes well with using patterns because textural information is often repetitive which creates an opportunity of using that pattern as an element in your shot. The pattern created by the ripples of sand creates a rhythm. The shadows of grass and the footsteps break up the pattern to make the picture more interesting.
Textural Contrast
Using texture in photo composition goes well with contrasting surfaces too. You may want to tell a story incorporating a rough surface with a smooth one. The rough skin contrasts well the smooth surface of the berries.
Look around you and experiment with different textures, rough or smooth, wet or dry and under different lighting condition. Make texture in photo composition an important visual element. Soon enough you will figure out how to make successful photographs using texture and I can promise you will have lots of fun doing this
