CAN YOU FEEL THIS??

    When I mentioned this month's theme about textures, to a friend, she responded, "That's going to be kind of hard, isn't it?"   She was right, but I'm not easily dissuaded when it comes to photography.

    TEXTURE.  How can we "feel" texture in a two-dimensional view?  What is texture and how is it relevant to picture-taking?

       📷   When talking about photography, texture refers to the visual quality of the surface of an object, revealed through variances in shape, tone, and color depth.  It is an element of art that refers to the way an object feels to the touch or looks as it may feel.  It brings life and vibrancy to images that would otherwise appear flat and uninspiring.   

    That description certainly resonated with me.  One of my primary goals in sharing my work is that the viewers will find inspiration!  As I wrote in many prior posts, I want my blog followers to feel something when they read the content and view the photos I publish. In this case,  that is meant literally!

    People will relate the images they see to their encounters to form a connection to the subject.

    There are many things in our daily lives that have texture.  🍓🍭🏈  When captured in a picture, it can make it much more interesting. We relate to that which we know.

  

Soft, smooth,rough, and sticky are all examples of textures.   🍦  🍌     When examining smaller, everyday objects like flowers, shells, tree bark, peeling paint and 🐞🐌 insects, texture can be used to help highlight just how intricate these objects are.  We aren't used to seeing tiny things on a grander scale, so when taking photos, texture helps tell the story of what we've often overlooked by making them the focal point of eye-catching shots.  It can also give you some new and creative photography ideas.

    A little research produced an enormous amount of information! One website listed 400 words to fit the category. I could not find a definite number of words to describe texture.  Some, such as food and architecture, had their own adjectives describing composition.

    When I gather information for the article, it can be overwhelming and time-consuming.   ⌚   I may have been able to get this posted a few days ago, had I stopped with what I had already written. However, I would have lost out on things I learned for myself. I found out that some subjects had textures of which I was unaware.  In addition to the self-interest advantages, I  felt that you too, might benefit from the  information.  

I learned that there are 3 types of textures:    ✋tactile,   👀  visual, and  👂  audible.  Audible?? I never thought of that before! It refers to how an object or a room sounds. 

     I found so much new information that it kept me interested in finding more. There are enough resources about the topic. I could spend much more time studying it even if I do not write any more about it here on the blog.

     

Texture in geology is about a rock's micro structure in relationship between the materials of which a rock is composed.

 

 I unearthed  😋 information about soil texture and something I'd never heard of and failed to comprehend very well--texture linguistics. 

💻There is a process called Mipmap used in 3-D computer games and other imaging systems for texture filtering. (If you don't understand, you can research all of this info on Wikipedia.  I investigated, but still do not comprehend some of this new information!)

    I've played a flute for over 50 years, and had a music major in college, [ only for one semester] but never heard that music has texture.  📯🔔🎼🎹🎵🎻🎷

Texture in music is how the tempo, melodic, and harmonic materials are combined in a musical composition determining the overall quality of the sound.

    I even came across a YouTube musical video intended to be used by elementary-age students to help them understand the word. ( check ScratchGarden.com) It had the old "bouncing ball" over the words. {For those of you old enough to recall, we saw that used in some musical cartoons on TV when we were children.}

    Some artwork, while 2 dimensional, sometimes does have 3, although not considered so by most people. In the art world, there are visual textures and implied textures. A painting may apply heavy brush strokes or incorporate something in the medium to produce a piece of art that one can almost feel.  

   

Sculpture offers the opportunity to feel the work that other forms of art do not provide.

In Photography, the texture is implied due to the flat production of photos.  Check out these two photos. 

The green slime is visible only in the second picture, but having that information would help you to make a choice about if and where you may want to dip your toes!

   I came upon this unusual creation while photo-hunting in The City of Brotherly Love. Is it a masterpiece, or a compilation of junk?  How many objects can you identify that were installed into the work?  Personally, I like it, and found it to be quite creative.  There was no information about it, such as the designer, nor even a title. It was simply there on a traffic post near City Hall.                                                                                                                                                                  Texture is considered one of the 7 elements of photography, along with line, shape form, space, value, and color.  Two prior blogs were about the use of color: See  "Smell the Pastels" and Color my World  July 2022.    Future blogs may center on the additional 5 elements I've not yet addressed.

I may revisit the topic of Texture. It is a fascinating aspect of photography.   I need to hone my skills so that my photos will reveal texture more often, more clearly, and more detailed.

    How might you apply what you have just read?  Were there any shots you could "feel" more than others?   For now, I hope you found some inspiration. 

     

      

    

    

    

 

REFELCTING ON REFLECTIONS

    It was easy for me to select a theme for this month's blog. Reflections are so common in photography, even necessary for some cameras to operate!  They are ubiquitous, glaring from windows, reflecting in pools of water, keeping us safe with rearview mirrors, dazzling us with shimmering jewelry, and in glittered décor. Even on cloudy days, mirrored images can still be found.

When I began this blog over a year ago, I hadn't considered including research, but as my writing developed, I discovered that added info could enrich the message.  Following are some of the discoveries I found while gathering information for this piece.

There are three types of reflections. I did not know that. They are:  Regular Reflections

Diffused Reflections

     

And multiple reflections

       

I found that there are over 60 synonyms and antonyms for the word and when I checked out the definition, some left me with that "say what?" feeling.

"Reflection   The throwing back of a body or surface of light, heat or sound without absorbing it."

Ok, not too hard to understand, although when considering the topic I did not think about the reflection of heat and sound, as well as light.   Was that an echo I heard??

But how about this description?  "The abrupt change in the direction of the propagation of a wave that strikes the boundary between different mediums."

Mediums? Did anyone plan a séance?? Mediums, no extra large?? (OK, I hear the boooos.)

I had no idea there are laws of reflection.

"Coherent sources should have the following characteristics:

     The incident ray, the reflected ray, and the normal all lie within the same plane.

     and  The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection."

 Most physicists are probably familiar with them, but I found the concepts difficult to grasp.  Nevertheless, my research findings enhance my message as I try to learn new ideas and provide accurate information.

My discoveries took me in a number of different directions. All of us are familiar with the mirror hanging over our bathroom sink, or the one in the lobby reflecting a window or artwork on the opposite wall.  But mirrors do so much more.

I thought they increased the amount of light, but that is not true.  They only seem to make things brighter as they direct light into areas that may otherwise be dark.

I am a fan of the Star Trek TV series and found that one of the most famous shows was Season 2 Episode 4, Mirror, Mirror. Google led me to a movie on IMBd titled Reflections about a Ukrainian doctor who was captured by a Russian in a conflict zone and exposed to horrible experiences of humiliation.  Considering what is happening between these two countries, I found that almost ironic.

We are familiar with the Myth of Narcissus who fell in love with his own reflection and from which we get the term narcissistic personality, but where would we be without reflections?  Is my shirt buttoned right? Is that dirt on my cheek?

Saint Paul mentioned a mirror in his letter to the Corinthians, "now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face..." I Cor. 12:13

The great mystery writer, Agatha Christie authored, When the Mirror Cracked, which was also made into a movie.  There are so many examples, but I found it quite interesting to discover just how much information was readily available once I started digging.

So now, reflections in photography.  DSLR cameras function using mirrors: Digital Single Lens Reflection camera which enables the photographer to see exactly what the film or sensor captures.   Of course, cell phones now have such good quality cameras built in that other more traditional ones may become outmoded--except for the purists who like to have more control over the pictures they are taking.

Reflections are not always helpful in photography but can interfere with a good shot.

This was taken in the Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City. It is a cell from the cartoon Yellow Submarine.  The reflections ruined things.

 Some pictures are made more interesting or prettier because of reflections.

When I toured some of the summer cottages in Newport, RI, I noticed how mirrors were so often used.

The riches of the rich were more prominently displayed when flattered under spotlights. 

Rain often provides interesting reflections where they would not normally occur.

Glass provides some great spots of light which create great images.

What would Christmas be without reflections?  Notice how the cross is reflected in the Christmas ornament. It is a sermon all its own.

I can't end without mentioning another very important definition of reflection.
In addition to its use in math and physics, reflection also has psychological implications.   Self-reflection is the ability to witness and evaluate our own cognitive, behavioral, and emotional processes.

It allows us to identify and appreciate positive experiences and better identify ways to improve. It can be useful when we have had more challenging experiences; helping us to process and learn from them.

It is a common tool in psychotherapy as the therapist reflects back to the patient.  I am introspective and frequently reflect on life and the world around me.

One of the goals in composing this blog is to encourage those who visit to reflect on the ideas and photos on these pages. Hopefully, that was accomplished in the few lines and photos posted.