2020 Photo Challenge #9

March’s theme / technique: Being Creative with texture

If you want to see what this month’s assignments are in advance then please click here. All the assignments are available from the menu on the left under the 2020 Photo Challenge / Assignments.

The six visual keys to a great photograph are:

• • Patterns
  • Texture
  • Lines
  • Light
  • Depth of field
  • Space

This month we are going to look at textures. While the structure of an object is its form, the material from which it is made constitutes its texture. Is it hard or soft, smooth or rough?  You are aiming at translating texture visually, bringing life and energy to a photo through shape, tone and colour. Study the texture and forget about the object. Texture becomes the subject here.

• • Try contrasting rough against smooth
  • Shoot at different times of the day. Does it change the effect?
  • Capture details – like the fibres in a rope or a carpet.
  • Try altering the angle of light to avoid flat and dull images. You might be able to do this with your editing software too.
  • Use different angles to discover how much texture appears.

This week's assignment - Find something smooth and get in close

Tulip in decay

The silky smooth texture of a tulip flower shines in sunlight

The sculpture below was part of the Zimsculpt Exhibition in Vancouver in 2010. Hard to believe that was ten years ago. The majority of stones used in Zimbabwean Shona stone sculpture are locally sourced and belong to the geological family Serpentinite.

The stones can be polished to a smooth finish like this one.

Another sculpture also from Vancouver is The Drop,  a steel sculpture resembling a raindrop by the group of German artists known as Inges Idee, located at Bon Voyage Plaza in the Coal Harbour neighbourhood of downtown Vancouver. The 65-foot (20 m) tall piece is covered with Styrofoam and blue polyurethane which gives it its smoothness and shine.

And something closer to home, Jielde’s iconic desk lamp in gloss finish Yellow Sulphur.

If you would like to join in with the 2020 photo challenge then please take a look at my 2020 Photo Challenge page. No complicated rules, just a camera required 🙂

• • Create your own post with some information about how you composed the shot.
  • Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
  • Add the tag #2020PhotoChallenge so everyone can find your entry easily in the WP Reader
  • Get your post(s) in by the end of the month, as the new theme comes out on the first Sunday in April.

Last week’s assignment was a difficult one. I found it a struggle and I set it! I was hoping that I’d have had a chance to get out and explore before now and find new subjects to shoot, but the weather has been atrocious. Thankfully some of you understood the point of the exercise! And I have loved reading all the comments on mine and others’ posts which have been very thoughtful and enlightening.

Aletta’s first image encapsulates the point perfectly. Her window cleaners are mere dots on the background of those windows. Great subject and great context.

And Susan (susurrus) has a beautiful vibrant background which really works well.

Pauline looks at organic patterns as a background and Su wonders whether using Bokeh works.

Sue Judd gets it spot on with her urban photos, I really like her first photo and that is exactly what I had in mind. 

Once again thanks to everyone who gave this one a go! I know it wasn’t easy!