Ok wow! First off, great entries this week all around. As much as I love winning these things, and getting to make a new contest, I almost dread judging them because the quality of work on this board is just so damn good I get paralyzed from making a decision. So, critiques under quoted posts, winners at the bottom.
Haymakers, Evening, Eragny
I assume this is a photo of a painting or some other similar form of visual art? It has texture, and I really like that, but perhaps you could have even emphasized the texture by shooting from an angle (I know that isn't always possible in a gallery setting). This would have made the shot your own. Right now I just think too much of belongs to whoever painted the painting.
Slimy and sticky
Image
Slimy and sticky, as you said, but SO MUCH MORE. The snail's skin is bumpy, his shell is mostly smooth with little textured lines/ridges, the leaf is smooth but veiny. There is so much texture going on in this image, and I can see it with my eyes, and my brain wants to translate those images to feeling in my fingertips. My only minor critique is that this shot would have been well served with just a touch more DOF. If the near eyestalk were just a bit more in focus, as well as a touch more of the leaf it would be even better. Well done.
I love old structures and abandoned/urban decay type things. The black and white treatment serves this image very well. It emphasizes patterns and textures and removes the distractions of what I imagine was a somewhat bland and muddy color palate. I see natural wood, processed wood, stone, glass, etc. And the thing screams of tetanus. It also screams of adventure and mystery.
Is watching the paint peel as exciting as watching it dry? It looks rough but fragile, one little touch would likely send flakes of paint fluttering to the ground. The shallow DOF really helps draw the attention to the texture on the paint. Not totally sold on the composition though, maybe shooting more along the length of that segment, give it a bit of a leading/falling line out of the frame on the left side?
Water. Tough choice. Very tough choice. The exposure makes me thing indoor pool or cloudy day. The motion conjures up a recent but not immediate disruption in the surface. I'm getting a lot of story, unfortunately I'm not getting much texture other than "wet" this time. Perhaps a shallower angle of view would have accented the surface tension better?
The ridges in the rug are subtle, but noticeable. The small splash of color certainly draws attention to the textured spots in the highlights. More DOF in the foreground might have helped though.
Avocado
Image
Canon 6D, Tamron 90mm macro
ISO 12,800 - 1/50 - f/8
I would hang this one on the wall in my kitchen. I love to cook and I love avocados (probably makes something with them at least once a week in the summer). Now on to texture - Smooth and bumpy. I've touched enough avocados to know what they feel like, this one looks like it's healthy, robust and delicious. Even if I had never touched an avocado before, I would know what one felt like by looking at this photo. Great job.
This is picture of some stone blocks in a wall on holiday - no really? I hear you cry... yes, it is...
Rough. Dry. Even smooth in some places. Makes me want to touch it, and then probably subconsciously wipe my hand off on the leg of my jeans. Here's a shot that shows the texture, but could actually benefit from some context.
I have seen so many photos of old hands, and I never get tired of them. There's something wonderfully humanizing about looking at those kinds of cracks and wrinkles. The photo generally leaves me wanting to know more of the story, and that's a great thing for a photo to do.
Cutting blades from an abandoned sugar mill in Maui.
Symmetry, patterning, texture, color. This photo has a lot of positives in all of those arenas. My only suggestion would be a bit more DOF so that the blade in the foreground can show off that texture as well.
The veins of the leaves certainly speak of texture, and that bit of gloss sure helps too. Did you desaturate the image in post processing or was it "like that" out of camera? I only ask because I'm not sure if the colors make it more or less inviting to touch.
Part of the ironworks for a canal lock control system. Not a fantastic composition but the texture is there. Comments always welcomed.
I think your self critique nails this it pretty well. It has A LOT of texture, especially when viewed at full resolution, but the composition may be lacking a touch. Still, the text and the texture invite questions and make me want to know more.
At first glance I thought this was a rock/cave and then I looked at it closer and realized that it was a tree/wood. There appear to be a variety of textures within the wood as well as the moss on the tree. Makes me wonder if there's a difference in moisture as well from the outer parts to the inner/darker parts. This one does a good job at not only showing texture, but making me ask questions about textures that aren't shown.
'Texture' by Niall B.
[url=https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5194/14175915877_7edca458c0_b.jpg]Image[/url]
Canon EOS 350D 50mm 1/125th at f/11 ISO 400
Driftwood? Looks hard, bumpy, maybe an interesting combination of rough and smooth. I imagine that the subject of this one would be great material for a piece of 3D art as well.
Not only the door, but the studs and the wall. The door also clearly shows a couple of different textures. It really nails the brief in that regard. Unfortunately the composition seems to be missing something. I can't quite put my finger on it though.
What a fun photo! Are those feet your family's? If so, I hope that you have a print of this one hanging somewhere in your home. I really like how the footprints have changed the texture of the sand, despite it being a uniform material/medium. Might be a touch underexposed though.
Wall, coat, skin, hair, film grain(?). Am I missing any of the textures here? I genuinely did not expect any portraiture to show up in this challenge, but I am pleasantly surprised at how this fits in with the theme. Texture may not be to focus of this shot, but it's certainly a key component.
Dexter the door stop
Cheers
Hugh
So I was showing this week's entries to my wife and she has a severe tactile aversion to corduroy and velvet. She downright shuddered when she saw your photo. I know that isn't the feeling that you were trying to invoke, but it is an excellent testament as to how well the image conveys those textures. Perhaps a bit more exposure or maybe some dramatic lighting would help boost this one a bit.
Much like I didn't expect any portrait shots, I also didn't expect any landscape shots. The foreground and the middleground really show some great textures with the dirt and the moss. Maybe a lower angle of view would have picked those up even better.
Texture. And fear. I hope that door is very very secure on the other side to keep someone from accidentally wandering outside. The wall and the door both have great textures, the metal on the door probably does too, but it appears to have been lost in the highlights a touch.
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Whew! That took a while. Apologies if any of the critiques were too harsh or offensive, I tried to be constructive wherever possible, and the general takeaway should be that this was an EXCELLENT batch of images that took me a LONG time to decide on.
And now, the results:
3rd:jkramerbob
2nd:Cheese&Apple
1st:Alexander.Of.Oz
