Textures
1/2021
For this gallery, we asked you to share your best texture photographs. Our congratulations to the twelve photographers selected, from over 450 entries! We hope that you enjoy the beautiful images below. Thanks to everyone for participating, and make sure to enter our next challenge, using #spm_onthehorizon on Instagram through March 31, 2021.
Mineral Spa
Image by: Matt Newfield
This is nature's concoction of earth's finest particles put together over millions of years. A lot of time and energy went into the making of these textures. 150 frames and two sore knees later, the light had made its mark! The last few moments of sunset really gave these textures the dimension I was hoping for. With the sun on the horizon, a flood of warm light came in, blanketing the scene. Definitely one of my favorite abstracts I've shot to date. This image will always have special meaning, as my daughter and I shot this scene together. I dedicate this image to her!
Miniature Forest
Image by: Alberto Bellini
Wandering through the forest I found this green ground cover with interesting textures, and its shape reminded me of a miniature fir forest. The brown leaves gave the image a sense of time, and the side light coming from an opening in the canopy was perfect to enhance the textures.
Ignored
Image by: J Warren Wolski
I get it; big grand landscapes are a wonder to behold. But what about the small? The parts of the greater whole? These are the things that time and time again draw me in and capture my attention. It's in these moments of exploring small details that I feel most grounded, perhaps because I'm often literally laying on the ground to photograph them. So here's a photo of a dead tree stump, in an empty lot, behind a friend's house, captured on a clear day… Far away from any big grand landscapes.
Natural Spirals
Image by: Matt Hayes
On this particular visit to Lido Beach, Florida, over two days of gusting winds created amazing patterns in the lowlands, just below the dunes. I noticed this composition that portrayed an array of spirals, much like everywhere in the universe. I waited until the golden hour turned to blue hour, allowing for a longer exposure to capture the light and textures.
Amalgam
Image by: Sapna Reddy
Since I do not own a drone, aerial landscapes are usually well beyond my reach. This particular location in Utah though does not require a drone. Standing on the edge of a ridge you get to look down on what looks like an extraterrestrial landscape, colors and textures melting together to form a visual amalgam that leaves you wondering if it’s all just a dream.
Hydrocarbon
Image by: Charles David Corbin
I captured this small scene during one of my regular nature walks. The orange and brown of the leaves contrasted beautifully with the blue of the sky reflected by the natural oils on the water's surface. After several hand held images to fine tune the composition, I set up a tripod for the final image.
King of Dinorwic
Image by: Tom Blockley
Exploring the harsh landscape of the Welsh slate mines in Dinorwic Quarry, Snowdonia, Wales on a winter day, I spotted this lone goat walking along a ridge line of slate. I noticed the mound of slate kept on going up, so I kept as close as I could, hoping the goat would stop at the summit, and luckily, he did. I love how the slate angles to the left, towards the light and the Snowdon range, and the contrast in textures between the slate and the goat’s hair.
Premonition
Image by: Scott Aspinall
Upon arriving at my local woodland one frosty morning, I had no expectations of what I wanted to shoot. I looked for areas where the frost was more prevalent and tried to find a composition of some of the grasses, leaves, and berries along the trail. This proved more challenging than I anticipated, as the frost had largely clung to the ground cover. I adjusted my expectations and began inspecting the textures of the forest floor. As I did that, small scenes like this became more and more evident, until this little section of fallen leaves came into view.
Black Rhino. ed. 3
Image by: James Rodewald (Nature’s Sake Photography)
This image is the neck and shoulder of a black rhino currently residing at the San Diego zoo. It was created with a standard telephoto zoom and as low of a shutter speed and ISO as I could achieve hand held. My motivation for creating this image, which is part of a larger collection of abstracts, was to raise awareness of how beautiful some animals can be on a personal scale. Particularly those which are threatened. By revealing their essence, it is my hope that we may advocate for their conservation more urgently.
Enduring the Storm
Image by: Leanne Zeller
After the blizzard, there were many unusual textures in the snow to explore. Showing these textures in a photograph, however, was challenging, especially since the subject was all white. The rough, uneven surface in this particular area allowed light and shadows to reveal the texture more clearly. My theory is that the extreme winds combined with some melting and refreezing of the snow created this intriguing pattern. How the hydrangea leaf remained there through the high winds is a mystery.
Ripples and Shadows #2
Image by: Jonathan Sau Photography
The interplay of light and shadows on sand dunes is ever changing. On this day I had been busy shooting since first light hit the dunes. As the sun rose higher and the light grew stronger and harsher, it was about time to pack up and go. Scanning the landscape for one last composition, I spotted the ripple pattern on a ridge. The sun just started to illuminate the shadow side of the dune, and the delicate sidelight brought out extra texture that was hidden in the dark shadow just minutes ago.
Weathered
Image by: Aim Lorejas
On my first day at Death Valley I came across this scene and was fascinated by this weathered brush. I did a lot of what-ifs working this scene: What if I move to the left or right? What if I go lower, or climb up higher on the dune, or change my focal length? Yet none of it seemed to work, and I moved on. On my second day, I came across it again at midday as I was looking for a sunset comp. So I thought, what if I photograph this during blue hour, to separate the brush and dunes? That strategy worked out well, as this is my favorite shot from the trip.