Run your hand over the bark of an old yellowwood and you can feel every ridge and fissure. Capturing that same sense of touch in a photograph is what texture is all about. Every subject has its own surface character, from rough and weathered to smooth and glossy, and when you record it well, your images feel more real and immediate. This guide explains what texture in photography means, the main types and the subjects that show it off, and the shooting and lens choices that help you capture it.
What is texture in photography?
Texture in photography describes how the surface of a subject looks as though it would feel: the cracks and moss on a fallen branch, the velvety softness of a flower petal, the cool gloss of polished metal. Closely related is surface quality, sometimes discussed as photo surface quality, which refers to the overall impression of what a subject is made of, whether stone, glass, fabric or skin. When both are rendered well, a photograph conveys a tactile sense of reality
