Our memories of how things feel are so strongly ingrained in our consciousness that the sight of a textured surface can evoke the sensation or memory of touching the surface. This makes texture a very powerful tool for adding realism to our images and reinforcing the emotional response we are seeking to evoke from the viewer.
Surface textures are revealed best when they are illuminated by a light source at an oblique angle to the subject (i.e., just grazing the surface of the subject). The quality of the light source should match the characteristics of the subject. A rough texture with large features is best illuminated by a “hard” light source, while a softer, finer grained texture is best illuminated by a soft light source.
Images of “texture” often work best when you move in close and exclude everything that doesn’t enhance the tactile qualities of the image.
The assignment for the week of 15 – 21 September is “texture.” Compose an image to enhance the viewers perception of texture, attempting to evoke a sensation in the viewer that they could reach out and touch (and feel) the texture you are portraying. Use the appropriate quality of light for your subject. Please upload your images to the “Texture” album in the Weekly Assignments category of the gallery no later than midnight Mountain Time (GMT-07:00) on Sunday, 21 September 2008.
