Texture and Pattern

Texture - Definition

•Texture refers to the tactile qualities of the physical surface of the object. In other words, how does the surface of the work feel when you touch it? 

Texture - Theory

•The challenge of seeing and capturing texture is mostly based on one element - light.

•Texture can be accentuated by the side light of early sunny mornings or early evenings, or by overhead light when the sun is vertical and high in the sky.

I have included the following visual examples which relate  to the above theory

Research (of artists and techniques)

A photographer that I have researched is Cesar Quijada, an American and Venezuelan citizen, Photographer, Mechanical Engineer with a lot of experience and Programmer.  He has been working as a Professional Photographer since 2008, covering weddings, events and doing product photography, fashion, and documentary photography. (with more than 7 exhibitions around the world). He had a Studio and I did many jobs retouching and printing for other important photographers. He also shot a lot of texture within nature for his macro series

This image shows a single green leaf with a black background which enhances the intensity of colour and detail within the leaf. Both the veins and spine are very clear in the image as it was taken at such close proximity with a lot of light on the leaf itself.

This image doesn't clearly show a lot of texture as the subject is so small and delicate, but shows the detail in which Cesar Quijada shoots his subjects in order to capture the texture that he does in a lot of his images.

This image of a plant shows different kinds of texture with the thin whsipy bits of grass. This was obviously shot outside in daylight with a lighter background however it hasn't affected the detail of texture within the image.

The subject for this particular image is slightly different as he has shifted his focus on to food. Strawberries are a good subject in regards to texture as the consistent little seeds stand out against the red.

All these photographs were taken with 35mm film, in the photo gallery you can see macro taken leaves of various plants, flowers like daisies, orchids, tulips and others also are some other elements of nature such as rocks and water.

Image bank: The following images were added as part of my visual research.

This above collection of photographs by other artists/photographers represent some of the images that I felt I could capture within Harlow. They represent a variety of textures, most of the images are quite close up (zoomed in). I decided that I would adopt a similar approach for my work. However I won't be able to capture the same amount of detail at such close proximity as I do not have a macro lens on my camera,

AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.

I selected the following as my best images:

Images that require improvement:

I selected the first image to improve because I feel that the subject was not a good enough representative of texture to photograph and also was not in correct focus. Additionally the second image requires improvement because I feel like the angle I took this photo at doesn't present as much pattern as it could do if I were to have taken this image straight on. Although it presents depth of field it doesn't have enough detail in regards to pattern or texture as I would like. Finally, I think that my third image is good however like my second picture doesn't illustrate as much texture as I would like for it to. I feel like part of this could be to do with the colour of the leaves, they distract the focus from the main details.

AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.

My idea for recording texture and pattern was to photograph plants and walls/floors exploring different textures and patterns present with different accentuations of light to see how it affects the subject and the overall image. Cesar Quijada's use of varied patterns, designs and textures mostly within nature gave me an idea to photograph flowers and plants within Harlow.    

      The images came out as I expected, however I had to pay particular attention to getting the right exposure settings. However because I was photographing neon and bright signs, mainly with darker backgrounds I had no issues with adjusting aperture or shutter speed on my camera.

      Referencing to my best images:

Both images of the leaves were shot with the same ideas about texture. I got extremely close to each subject and zoomed in as much as I could without blurring the leaf. The first leaf image was taken side on because I felt that it would capture the detail in a different perspective. This image was also a bit darker and the bottom half of the image gradually becomes blurred. However for the second leaf image I shot the image straight on to capture the leaf as a whole. This image was not zoomed in as much as the first one so it also captures other leaves in the background. But I like this because it makes my subject at the forefront seem dramatically important and draws more attention to the detail in the texture and patterns within the leaf.

I had a similar idea for the image of the white flowers where one is in front of the other and the flower in the background is not in focus. This image has quite a dark background which contrasts nicely with the white on the petals. I was also able to capture a lot of detail in this image too with the crinkles in the petals and the male parts of the flower in the centre.

I think that the shot of the flower has captured a lot more detail than the other images, darker veins in the petals are visible. The colours in this image are a lot more saturated and i feel that this image is neater without any other bright colours or patterns in the background. 

The final picture that I haven't yet described is very interesting. This subject caught my eye because it looks like something you'd see in winter, although I took this on a sunny day in September. The pattern and repetition on this plant are very attractive and the design looks quite complex. There is a lot more going on in this image than any of the others but I don't think that it looks too much because the colours aren't too saturated or too harsh. Even the subject itself looks soft.



Pattern: Pattern photography utilises elements that are repeated. The repetition of lines, shapes, tones or colour can create interesting images. There are photographers who use the pattern as the main subject of an image while others use it to enhance the overall composition and look of the photograph.

A photographer I have looked at is James Murray. "I live in London, England but love to go exploring in foreign climates. Coming from a design background I look at photography as an extension of this, recording the lifestyles and architecture that make up our world.

My passion for photography started when I first picked up a film camera way before the digital times we live in now. I transferred this passion into my studies mixing in all of my design influences to create my own style. Architecture and photography are the perfect blend each complementing the other.

I have worked as a photographer since 2010, taking photos of the environment that I lived in around London, selling images as artworks and to companies. In 2011 I worked for Disney on their cruise ships with the big mouse himself. On board I worked as a portrait and wedding photographer, learning new techniques and feeding my travel bug. Every photo is a memory; there is no better way to capture it than how you see it, not how the camera sees it."

In his shoots based in London he focuses on the buildings and architecture around him, considering details in pattern, texture and shape. He says that he pays attention to things like symmetry in structure as well. It looks like he edits his images a lot by increasing sharpness and using layers to improve clarity. A lot of his images have intensified colour comparing to their originals. I plan to not only use his shoots to guide my own but to edit my images similarly to James Murray's work.

Contact Sheet: (1st shoot)

Contact Sheet: (2nd shoot)

Contact Sheet: 3rd shoot

Best Images: (first shoot)

Images that require improvement: (first shoot)

The reason that I feel like the first image could be improved is mostly to do with the angle I have taken the image at. It doesn't capture pattern to it's full potential like if it was facing the building head on. Also, this image is quite dark and I should have increased the aperture to attain a wider depth of field allowing more light in. 

The second image does include pattern however there is too much distraction and noise within the buildings. Additionally the contrast between the light negative space in the middle, and the darker areas in the building are too intense. I feel like I would need to adjust the contrast on photoshop if I were to use this as one of my best images.

For my final image I feel like it has captured too much of the subject and if it were zoomed in to focus on detail slightly more, the final image would be a lot better. also the top left corner has negative space which makes the image unsymmetrical.

Best Images: (second shoot)



Worst Images: (second shoot)

O3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.

My idea for recording pattern was to photograph buildings, that included pattern, exploring with different sizes, shapes and angles present. Håkan Dahlströms' use of varied patterns, designs and shapes with varied subjects including buildings and bodies inspired my idea to photograph similar subjects. I took a trip to London so that I was able to shoot bigger, detailed buildings. Additionally I was more likely to find varies statues/shapes in London that interested me.

      The images came out as I expected, however I had to pay particular attention to getting the right exposure settings. However because I was photographing neon and bright signs, mainly with darker backgrounds I had no issues with adjusting aperture or shutter speed on my camera.

      Referencing to my best images: 

I chose my first image as I feel it captures the theme of shape in great detail and also included different levels as some parts of the building are further back while others in front. This splits the image up and ensured that the photo wouldn't be too repetitive. Also because the building contains multiple levels, the top outline of the buildings looks very sharp against the white sky and creates a nice dagger line effect.

I chose my second image because it consists of more than just one shape. It has lots of corners, rectangles and squares emphasised by the different colours. This gives the image complexity, however it is not too detail that it is overbearing. It still appears neat. I took this image at an angle which empowered the corners on the building.

My third image that I have selected is one of my favourites because whilst the building is an attractive shape by itself, it has a lot more detailed shape. The circle windows and repeated pattern could seem overbearing to some, however I think it works as it is on a flat wall. I did take a few shots of this building head on, but decided that this was the best one as the angle I shot it at accentuates the shape even more. it makes the subject appear multidimensional rather than one flat surface. 

Initially it was the colour that attracted me to the subject in my fourth image, but I noticed that it beautifully represented shape with its multiple repeated diamond shapes. My favourite part of this image though is the placement of the diamonds so that they are all on different levels, similar to waves in the sea.

Despite the dull coloration in my fifth image. it remains my favourite of the six that I have selected. I purposely paid attention to how much I included in this image. I only shot half of the building on the right so that it appeared a similar size to the building on the left and emphasised the negative space in between the two. 

The final image is my least favourite of the six. This is the same building to my second image but I took it from a different angle to capture the shapes from a different perspective. I like how the shapes of the balconies gradually move backwards and travel slightly downwards from the right to the left of the image.

AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.

I used a Canon EOS 350d for all shots taken. I used a shutter speed of 1/50-1/60 and an aperture of f4.0. When I took the images I didn't feel like I needed to adjust anything as I felt that all of the images were coming out clear and with the correct saturation.

To improve my images I imported some of them onto photoshop to enhance the colours and adjust the contrast of my photo's to improve the over all look of the final image.

I increased the brightness and saturation for most of the images I edited and for others I adjusted the contrast if I felt it would improve the over all look of the image.

AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.

The artist research that I did was very helpful as it strengthened my understanding of texture and pattern photography and the elements a photographer looks for when taking photos regarding these features. Researching things about his past work and the career path he has experienced supported me to gather a strong understanding of the context surrounding his photography. Looking at his images inspired me to search for detailed subjects and take my photos at a high standard. It also helped me to look for patterned and complex designs within nature and textures and capture them. Finally, because of the research I developed a better understanding of the visual elements 'texture and pattern' and how different textures or patterns can convey different feelings and emotions.

AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.  

I believe that I have produced a strong series of images inspired by my research of texture and pattern and Cesar Quijada's images. The final images produced were refined by developing the contrast and saturation. Similar to Cesar Quijada's images I have photographed flowers, plants and walls that caught my attention and aimed to emphasise the detail of the textures to make them bolder and more exciting than they originally looked.

AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.  

I believe that I have produced a strong series of images inspired by my research of texture and pattern and Cesar Quijada's images. The final images produced were refined by developing the contrast and saturation. Similar to Cesar Quijada's images I have photographed flowers, plants and walls that caught my attention and aimed to emphasise the detail of the textures to make them bolder and more exciting than they originally looked.