I love shooting weathered wood. It is cool to me that something old, and in some cases rotting away, can make such pretty pictures. You usually need to get in close, so a macro lens can be a plus. Directional light, (light falling across the grain in the wood) makes it show better. Using an off-camera flash can often be helpful. 
Contrast is a help with photos showing texture. Really bump up the contrast of your images to bring up the patterns. Don't be afraid to "burn and dodge" when you are processing your shots in photoshop. I never use the burn or dodge tools anymore.
I use levels or curves to lighten/darken and control the contrast. I never use the brightness/contrast function either.
Use levels or curves to adjust parts of your image to look like you want them, then use the history brush to paint in your changes. All of these images were burned and dodged using this method. Works quite well. 
Friday, November 30, 2007
Shooting Textures
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2 comments:
Texture is one of my favorite themes to work with in photography! And almost always when I think "texture" I think "Nature." They just go so well together. Your wood shots are beautiful!
Now, when you're talking wood, you have my full attention. As a wood carver, I am totally in tune with these pictures.
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