A definition of texture within photography?

preferably a long winded answer please :)





stuff about how light enhances and changes texture and how it makes the image look 3DA definition of texture within photography?
Nadine, you really need to do your own homework - google your keywords and make sure you quote the source of your answers.A definition of texture within photography?
No big secret. Photography is all about recording the effects of light.


That effect is modified by three variables. direction, angle to the horizontal and intensity.


Take a trip out into the countryside where you can see rolling hills all around. It's a bright sunny day and it's summer mid day. The sun is overhead so all the light is coming down at near enough 90 degrees to the surface. The hills will appear almost shadowless in almost all directions. Eat your sandwiches, have a sleep and wake up again at 4pm. The sun will have become lower in the sky towards the west. Look around you and you will notice that if you look towards the sun the light will be very bright on the lightest areas and the shadows will be very dark, in some cases, you will be unable to see detail in either. That, in photographic terms is high contrast lighting, also called back lighting or contre jour.


Now slowly tun so that you face 90 degrees to the sun. This side lighting will show up all the rounded or craggy shapes and will give you an interesting visual interpretation of all the details on the hills.. In other words, it will give you a good idea of the texture of the landscape.


Finally, turn your back on the sun and notice that the light coming over your shoulder makes everything look quite textureless and bland. The photographic term is 'Flat'


As the sun goes down lower, you will see different lighting effects on the landscape that will cause the texture to vary.


Intensity of light causes these effects to be more or less noticeable, ie think of the effects of contrast in a/ fog, b/ bright sunshine, c/ cloudy conditions.


These very general principals apply to almost anything you can see..


Try looking at a brick wall with varying light directions. Get a friend to wear a tweed or fur coat and get them to stand still in the sunshine while you analyse the textural quality of the fabric from different angles.


Now, instead of just looking, take photgraphs of what you see. If you want to treat it as a lesson or project, make notes of what you take.


Finally, read as much as you can about taking photographs and don't be in too much of a hurry to assimilate it all at once.


I agree with one of your other replies that processing the image is an important part of traditional photography, but let's be realistic, if your just starting out, understand the basics of current practice and learn about the esoteric in it's own time.