texture and pattern

Texture and Pattern

definition

Texture and pattern are terms that describe various decorative elements, such as upholstery fabrics, curtains, walls and even types of tile. ... A pattern is a visual element that repeats, such as plaid or stripes, whereas texture can be felt, such as the surface of a brick or a piece of burlap. When talking about photography texture refers to the visual quality of the surface of an object, revealed through variances in shape, tone and colour depth.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.

image bank

Artist research


Aaron Siskind (December 4, 1903 – February 8, 1991) was an American photographer. He is considered to be closely involved with, if not a part of, the abstract expressionist movement. Siskind's work focuses on the details of nature and architecture. He presents them as flat surfaces to create a new image which stands independent of the original subject. For some his work has been described as crossing the line between photography and painting, his photographs are works unique to the art form of photography.

This image is a good reflection of texture and pattern in a unique way as it isn't uniform and the use of tone highlights the texture of the materials in the image.

i chose this image for my image bank as it uses nature to show the element of texture, and the pattern of the water droplets on the leaves. 

this image shows a more man made pattern, and accentuates the natural beauty of patterns that are passed off as ordinary everyday things like this image of a brick wall.

contact sheet(s)

these images were taken on a day trip to Bishops Stortford and Sawbridgeworth where i walked along a river which was next to woodland.

best images 

images that require improvement

i felt this image required improvement as it was taken too close to the objects and the viewer cannot see the full pattern of the lights. Whereas with this image i changed the distance of the shot yet it felt like it was too far away for me and draws the attention away from the lights.

Whereas with this image i changed the distance of the shot yet it felt like it was too far away for me and draws the attention away from the lights. 

edited images

To edit the above images, i first altered the curves, brightness, contrast and the levels of the images, i then turned it black and white after i had done this i altered the saturation and vibrance of the images to highlight its features. To complete my images, i did a final alter to the shadows and highlights of the images.

To edit this image i first altered the curves, brightness, contrast and the levels of the image, i then turned it black and white after i had done this i altered the saturation and vibrance of the image to highlight its features. To complete my image, i duplicated the layer and rotated it 180 degrees, i then set the opacity and fill to 50%, this eliminated the negative space of my image and created a line of symmetry within my image, i then did a final alter to the shadows and highlights of the image.

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

(Here you will discuss how you developed your work based on your research of e.g. artists/photographers, etc).

The artist research was very useful during these shoots as I had some inspiration on how to tackle the method of creating and capturing patterns. My research of Aaron Siskind helped me to focus on the details of the patterns. I found this helpful because I have a lot of opportunities to photograph different mediums including a range of naturally occurring patterns. 

To develop my work further, i made my images black and white to reflect Siskin's images.

(It is important that you show a progression of your work… which may mean revisiting a subject area and adding additional images showing a development of your ideas or refinement of the final images through).

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 the different textures and patterns created by structures, like Aaron Siskind, and to focus on creating my own patterns within my images. I was inspired by the work of Aaron Siskind by his method of taking photos, and by what he captured patterns within some of  his photos by artificially creating patterns. 

      With reference to my best images, I feel that although I could not create photographs exactly like Aaron Siskind's photos, I did create a set that was in the style of his work but with different patterns that i created myself. I am happy with the overall outcome of my images and feel that they all show the many ways that texture and pattern can be captured within a photograph both with and without editing.

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

I used an iPhone 8 for all the shots taken as i couldn't risk taking images over the river and streams with my actual camera due to my fear of dropping it . I made sure that when taking my images, that the zoom was appropriate and that the focus was correct.by using photoshop and the file information i had the following camera settings: shutter speed 1/115 sec, f/2.2, ISO 25.

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

(At the end of the entry you will discuss whether you have produced a personal and meaningful response, this means  (are my images creative/relevant to the subject area studied/connected and influenced by any research undertaken). 

I believe that I have produced a strong series of images inspired by my research of texture and pattern and the artist Aaron Siskind. The final images were refined by developing the contrast and changing the brightness and in some cases turning the images black and white to enhance the tones within the patterns.