And the winner of the $40 gift card from Annie Manning is....Brittany! (the 9th commenter)
Don't forget about the coupon code too for those of you who didn't win. The code is farrahrocks and is valid until May 31st. Her online shop is here. I know I'm going to be taking advantage of it! Many thanks to everyone who visited and commented on the post. Your feedback and energy makes The Monday Lesson so much fun for me!
As always, please post your images in our Monday Lesson Flickr pool. If you have any suggestions for future lessons please let me know!
Brittany- please contact me about your prize! (farrah@farrahbraniff.com)
I am very excited to introduce you to a new photographer friend of mine. Her name is Annie Manning and her studio is called Paint The Moon Photography. She does an amazing job at incorporating texture overlays with her imagery. Last week I did a very basic demo on how to add a texture overlay. This week she is going to take it one step further and talk about how you can further manipulate the texture once it is in place.
To see Annie's work check out here on Flickr and here on her site. Annie also has a collection of textures that are available on her site here. I know I'll be picking myself up one of the texture sets and the action sets too. Annie has shared a discount code with us today that gives us 15% off anything in her store from now until May 31st! The code is farrahrocks.
Here is a video tutorial that Annie made for us, enjoy!
Her are some examples of how Annie incorporates texture into her images.
As you begin to play around with using texture overlays, you may want to create your own set of textures. It's pretty easy to do. Just take your camera and photograph walls, sidewalks, fabrics, plaster walls, stone surfaces, etc. The trick is finding textures that work well with your images. Color plays a big role too so you may have to experiment a bit until you find the ones that work best with your style of photography.
Annie was also generous enough to offer up a giveaway today! Leave Annie and I a comment in the section below and we will randomly select a winner. The lucky winner will receive a $40 gift card to her online store!
I'd love to hear more from you about how you incorporate texture into your imagery or how you find your own textures. If you have some advice for use, please share!
Terilyn Brown says:
I'm a huge fan of enhancing images with texture - I use them often when finishing out my images. Great article - thanks for sharing! And for the opportunity to win!!
(05.03.10 @ 09:45 PM)
JeneilS says:
Have always loved Annie's amazing captures, actions and textures. And to top it all off, she is also a really sweet person. I'm only now learning about textures and finding it really amazing.
(05.03.10 @ 10:48 PM)
nikki king says:
Great tutorial Annie :) So lovely of you too share, it will be so helpful to many people myself included!! LOL
(4 may 2010 @10.19pm)
(05.04.10 @ 07:19 AM)
Natalie J. says:
The tutorial is a fantastic idea. Thanks! I'm always amazed at the endless possibilities of digital photography.
(05.04.10 @ 09:32 AM)
Nancy Patton says:
Thanks for the great tutorial! Opening photoshop right now to try out your method :)
(05.04.10 @ 11:13 AM)
Jennifer Nigro says:
Wow thanks for the tutorial and the great ideas....can't wait to try it out on my newborn shoot this and next week.
(05.04.10 @ 11:19 AM)
jeannie says:
thanks so much for the tutorial! i love annie's textures so much that i'm inspired to try and make some of my own.
(05.04.10 @ 11:23 AM)
Brittany says:
Great video! Thank you!
(05.04.10 @ 11:37 AM)
JACEY CANGEMI says:
Thank you so much for all of this helpful information! I am trying to make a career out of photography because it is my passion and I can use all the tips and tricks I can get. You girls are really helpful! Thank you so much for doing what you do :)
(05.04.10 @ 11:42 AM)
Rachel Rerko says:
I love Annie's actions and textures and her work is amazing!
(05.04.10 @ 12:28 PM)
Amber Skene says:
Beautiful textures! I am such a fan of Annie and her textures, which are on my wishlist! Thank you for the great tutorial and being so generous!!
(05.04.10 @ 12:28 PM)
Sarah Goshgarian says:
I LOVE textures, but have always struggled with the tones disappearing, thank you for the video and how to's. I would love to purchase some of these textures!
(05.04.10 @ 12:44 PM)
Marie says:
I LOVE Annie's actions!! Her fave of mine right now is honey bee!! Thanks so much for the help and the chance to win!
(05.04.10 @ 03:00 PM)
Kara says:
I love Annies actions. They are awesome!
(05.04.10 @ 08:30 PM)
Amy says:
Your textures are beautiful...I am so excited to learn how to use them!
(05.04.10 @ 10:22 PM)
I know, I know, it's TUESDAY. Well, this week's lesson was challenging because I tried out something new, screencasting! Let me know what you think. This lesson is about placing a texture over your image. Next week, we'll have a guest on the bog who does amazing work with overlaying textures. She's going to do a demo and talk about her work.
This particular demo was done in Photoshop CS4. Any other recent version of Photoshop is capable of this as well. If you are wanting to try this out but you don't have a texture image to use, go photograph one. It's that easy. Look for a cement wall, roughed up wood, stones, etc.
I really want to see your experiments and how they turn out so please leave links to them in the comments below or post them to Flickr in our Monday Lesson pool. Make sure and stay tuned for next week's lesson!
Jennifer says:
Thanks for that lesson - I have tried to do texturing before and wondered how to do that mask to clean it off of the skin...
(04.27.10 @ 09:40 AM)
Cesar Vargas CPP says:
Farrah great tutorial!!! Your explanations and screens are right to the point. Keep them coming. Simple tutorial to follow but an important one to have in our bag of tricks.
First time doing this?!! I can only imaging what great info is coming in the future...
(04.27.10 @ 11:15 AM)
Sendy A. says:
Im excited to try this out!.. I actually asked my boyfriend today if he knew how to work with textures.. but of course he has no patience to teach me.. Can't wait to try this :D
(04.27.10 @ 09:16 PM)
Julie Schultz says:
Great tutorial! I can't wait to try it!
(04.27.10 @ 09:20 PM)
Farrah says:
Thanks Cesar, Jennifer, Sendy and Julie! Let me know how your experiments turn out!
(04.28.10 @ 02:52 PM)
Digital Photography Class!
Taking your photography to the next level
Are you tired of feeling discouraged and confused when it comes to your digital camera? Would you like to take better pictures of your family and friends? I thought so! Come join me on Saturday, May 29, 2010 for a special event at my studio. I am teaching a one day digital photography workshop for beginning photographers shooting with a digital SLR camera.
Some of the topics we'll talk about:
Camera controls- learn how to really control your camera, know how to shoot in various modes, and learn what all those letters and icons mean.
Finding good light, dealing with bad lighting, and using your flash better.
Metering the light, you can control your camera and not always the other way around
Composition, color and creativity!
Lenses and equipment.
Limited to 25 students! Please reserve your spot now because this class will sell out.
Where: Farrah Braniff Photographs: 1210 W. Clay, Loft 18, Houston 77019
When: Saturday May 29, 2010 from 10 am until 4 pm (1.5 hour break for lunch)
Price: $95 per student
The class spots will fill up fast so please reserve your spot today, (713) 255-2882.
To learn more about my work, please visit the studio website.
The class spots will fill up fast so please reserve your spot today, (713) 255-2882.
To learn more about my work, please visit the studio website.
This week I am showcasing a really lovely image by Haley Hickman. I found this image while browsing on Flickr. Flickr is such a great resource! It's a fantastic place to share images, get inspired, get ideas and make connections with other photo folks. I love just browsing around and seeing what amazing and creative things people are doing. Plus, you get to see work from all around the world! If you haven't gone and checked it out, you should! Go create a free account and start exploring. But, I digress, let's get back to Haley and her very cool image...
This image was originally posted in a Flickr group called Bench Monday (by the way, Bench Monday is just an example of the fun, quirky things that you can find on Flickr). What struck me about this image is how all the colors go together so well. I love how, despite that fact that the image is in full color, it has a similar simple quality to that of a black and white image. This is because it has color harmony. The color palette is simple, coordinated and harmonious. It's easy on the eye.
I also love how playful the image is. All too often we rely on something happening to create a subject for us. When you create something just for experiment's sake, though, it can be such a great learning experience.
I have written before about composition and how simple compositions help the viewer out and make the image clear. Color can do this too. It can help define your main subject, lead your eye around an image, highlight a particular part of an image and so much more. A simple way to play with color is to use a particular color throughout an image. You can play off the color of a person's eyes or their clothing.
So, the next time you pick up your camera, keep an eye out for interesting color compositions, simple color schemes and harmonious colors. Better yet, grab your camera and go create something just for fun like Haley did! One of the best ways to learn about photography is to experiment and practice.
I have started two new groups on Flickr. One is The Monday Lesson Pool and the other is the Favorite Shot Friday Pool. Please come join the fun and add some images into our pools. I'd really love to see what you are experimenting with! You can also leave links to your images in the comments section below. We're perched on the edge of our seats waiting for you to join in...Come on, don't be shy!
Many thanks to Haley for sharing her image with us today!