How to take control of texture

While photography is a two-dimensional art form, it's possible to use texture to create the illusion of depth and tactility. By highlighting texture, you can give the viewer the suggestion of a third dimension, which will set your pictures apart from the 2D norm.

For a recent project, I set out with the express objective of capturing landscape photos with interesting textures. This is an exercise I can recommend , as it gets you thinking not only about the surface you're photographing, but also the way lighting, colour contrast and angles all change the way the camera sees and records textures.

In this article I've included some examples from my texture project along with some tips to help you accentuate texture in your own images. 

Let's start with a challenge. How many of these textures can you find in your photos?

Rough: Course, Bumpy, Dry, Flat, Scaly, Glossy, Sandy, Hairy, Hard, Prickly, Sharp, Sticky

Smooth: Fine, Slick, Wet, Wrinkled, Silky, Matte, Slimy, Bald, Soft, Velvety, Dull, Slippery

1) Looking for texture

You may be surprised at how many textures there are around you when you start looking for them. Peeling paint, grainy timber, rusty metal, and weathered rocks are just a few surfaces that are rich hunting grounds for texture seekers. Surfaces that are rough, smooth, hard, soft, wet or dry can all add a tactile dimension to your images.

The angle and intensity of the light has a huge affect on texture. Look at the angle of the light and how it bounces off the surface. Move around the subject and the light source and watch how the texture appears to change. Side and back lighting can enhance texture.

On the other hand, hard light creates stronger shadows and a stronger sense of texture, but might also produce too much contrast, leading to blown highlights or blocked shadows. Soft, diffused light is easier to control and may make it easier to reveal every bit of detail in a decaying piece of wood, for example.

When it comes to texture, the devil is in the detail. Playing with transitions of lighting from dark to light or warm to cool can also enhance the emotional impact.

3) Close up

If you are photographing a surface that is less than a metre away, a steady tripod will let you use a slower shutter speed, lower ISO and narrower aperture. All that adds up to more detail in your photos.

Use a cable release or a remote control to reduce the chance of camera shake even further. Wide angle lenses (14-24mm) will allow you to easily get greater depth of field than longer lenses (50-100mm+). Generally speaking, if you are focusing less than three feet you may need to focus stack. Here's some tips for how to focus stack in a previous article.

It goes without saying that if your priority is detail – and it should be if you are shooting texture – you need to shoot RAW rather than JPEG.

Shooting in RAW will help you capture a wider tonal range and makes it easier to adjust the colour temperature in post. A little sharpening will also boost detail and depth. When shooting for texture, I recommend using a low ISO (to reduce noise) and an aperture of f/8, f11 or f/16 where possible. While you will get more depth of field at, say f/22, most lenses produce their peak sharpness at f/8 or f/11. Experiment with different settings to see what works best for your camera/lens combination.

5) Genres for texture

While texture is a natural consideration in macro and close-up photography, there are other genres where texture can also play an important role. You can apply this to close up photos. Other genres that typically have texture are food, nature, macro, abstract & aerial landscape.

Even conventional landscapes can benefit from a good understanding of texture, as different textural elements are complemented and juxtaposed to lead the eye and create movement and drama.

Alfonso Calero is a professional photographer based in Sydney, Australia. Over the past 20 years, Alfonso has photographed everyone from politicians to artists and everything from exquisite food to amazing landscapes. See more of his work at alfonso.com.au, book a 1-on-1 photography course with him, or join his workshops in Uluru or Tasmania.