Friday, December 7, 2012

More about texture





As fibre artists, I think we all get the thing with texture.  It's what makes us feel a buzz when we see a piece of embroidery, knitting, mixed media work, etc.  I've been playing with both my cameras lately [who's a smarty pants then...........LOL], and thought I'd share a few photos where the main focus is texture.  I know the guy in the photograph above isn't something delicate and genteel, but boy, just look at that skin, such a lot of texture there.  I took lots and lots of this fellow, sunning himself on a post.  He didn't seem to mind how close I got to him.  This one has been taken on my new DSLR Nikon, not on macro, but a reasonably close shot with a medium sized lens.  Somehow, I don't think he quite trusted me.........LOL..........

Much of the time, my world is full of drab colours.  I'm sorry I can't provide something a little livelier.  But, hey, not everyone sees beauty in the same thing.  This dry and decaying rose hip came up pretty well with the macro feature on my small Nikon, with just a hint of sharpening in PhotoShop.  French knots and long bullions would probably be the way to stitch something like this.

Right down on the ground, almost obscured by the lawn, I found these white puff ball fungi things.  On closer inspection, they had quite rough skin.  The little Nikon really is good with these macro shots, and I've taken the shutter speed back to 100, not the default 200.  Again, a tad on the boring side colourwise.

I decided to have a play with the fungi photograph.  Don't ask me what I did, but between PhotoShop and GIMP, I created this image, just for fun.  It's been filled with a light gradient, cropped, had the perspective altered, cropped again.........., well I won't continue, because to be honest I forget what I actually did and in what order.

On our recent trip to Toowoomba, I picked up these really interesting seed pods under some trees - much to the disgust of my husband.  If he hadn't been there, I'd have picked up a few more!!!!  They look like miniature meteorites to me.  I will try to find out the name of the tree.  I just love these, but again, they are quite dull.  This photo was just snapped on the verandah rail outside with the new camera, nothing special, just point and shoot.

I really like the seed pods in the above photograph, and decided to play with an image.  This altered image, again using a mixture of filters in PhotoShop and GIMP reminds me of something from a futuristic movie.   When I look at it, I have the feeling one of those pods is heading straight for my face!!! 

And, lastly, I took part of a macro shot,  added lots of filters, lightly coloured it with a gradient at 30% opacity, trying desperately to make the dull paper wasp nest into something resembling middle earth perhaps?????  No, I haven't been drinking, just trying to turn something dull into something interesting............LOL...

Just recently I received a newsletter from Sue Bleiweiss.  In the newsletter there was a link to a post where Sue is sharing her method for making the most gorgeous textured shoes.  These are simply gorgeous, not bright, but very dramatic, and I hope you make the time to visit the link here, and see how Sue created these.  

As always, I have to say a big thank you to everyone who so kindly commented on our old dog.  I am so touched by the friendship and support.

10 comments:

Frances Leate said...

I am pleased to hear that the new camera has arrived and the photographs in the post are terrific and you are very clever with Photoshop. Looking forward to lots more. Take care.

Suztats said...

Love all the wonderful texture in your pics!

DIAN said...

Linda, these shots are fabulous. What is dull about them? I love the paper wasp thingy and of course the rose hip.

I am very familiar with these seed pods but cannot remember the type of tree. My first coffee has not kicked in yet!

They photoshopping is great on all of the images.

I have trouble remembering what I did on lots of my images.

Thanks also for visiting Ally's blog.

margaret said...

You certainly have some great inspiring photos here Linda, you say they are drab but I disagree they are full of life. Love how you have played around with them too. Great photo of you with Shirley and Dianne I have added it to my desk top and when I stitch will imagine as suggested by Dianne.I will also pin some of these pics and add them to the cotton plant ones you posed a few months ago

Dianne said...

Wow Linda, your photography is great!! Lucky you having your new camera - you are doing good with it. You did a fab job of manipulating the photos too and I particularly love the seed pod one you have used the filters on - very clever.

Juliettecherry said...

So pleased to see you are enjoying yourself with the new camera and learning lots of new ways to capture interesting detail. Maybe we'll see some stitchery from these ideas one day? Anne

fabriquefantastique said...

my sort of post...you know how I feel about texture.

Sandy said...

Great textures. Thanks for commenting on my blog.

Radka said...

Great pictures, Linda, specially the top one, fantastic!

Radka said...

Talking about shoes, have a look here http://www.mosaicbahouth.com/Mosaic_shoes_boots_gallery.html