Ok, so I just wrote this long post about using textures, re-read it and then deleted the whole thing. I then re-wrote it… and yes, deleted it again. It seems as though my brain is a bit farty on this wonderful Friday. So I will just say this. I am inspired by photographers who use actions and textures to turn a really good photo into a work of art. That’s not to say a photo can’t be a work of art without these, but it’s one great way to add so much to a photo and transform it into something new. So many photographers are amazing at it and when I look at their work, my eyes are drawn through their use of actions & textures, blurs and vignettes, light and color…and so much more. These artists allow the person viewing their image to see it through their own eyes and be drawn into the emotion and depth of the photo.
These photos are my attempt at what I was trying to describe above. With each look, I am giving you the before and after (please note that the before is edited but without texture and in some cases other various brushes have been added (dodge & burn, blur, sharpen, vignettes, etc.)
I am extremely interested to hear your thoughts, comments, and suggestions. I want to hear both what you like and don’t like. I’m a big boy and can take it but constructive criticism is what i’m looking for. I have been trying to use textures and actions for a long time and I have learned so much through studying other photographers work. Thanks in advance and enjoy! See below for a list of textures and actions I regularly use.
Thanks for stopping by I really appreciate it! In addition to some of my own actions and textures, here are a few links to some incredible actions and textures that I regularly use. There are tons more out there, some free and some not-so-free but I am only listing those that I use. Feel free to tell me in the comments about some other actions and textures you may use in your photography. Take care
Jesh De Rox Fine Art Textures and Color Shift Actions - Absolutely amazing, I use them on almost every photo
Boutwells Totally Rad Actions - Also amazing, I use them all the time
Jessica Drossin Textures - Resolution is not super high but they are very good and can be enlarged
Awesome post!!! I absolutely love the use of textures and actions to make photos a little bit more special and unique and you’ve done a beautiful job of it. I love that you’ve asked for constructive criticism and don’t just want sugar-coated comments. The third and fourth ones are beautiful photos, but for some reason I don’t think the textures work with them, I think it may be just a little bit too strong. Maybe playing with the opacity a little bit more on those 2. But that’s just my opinion
.. You mentioned in both this post and your last post about Jesh De Rox textures and actions and you’ve seriously had me checking them out, but they seem too expensive for my taste right now 
.. Ahhh. Love your posts. Keep it up!
Since you asked….I loved the first and second photos. The third photo seemed to lose some significance and become too casual with the effects. I really liked the last one except that baby Lily looked better with more color. Seems like you lost some texture in her hair. My disclaimer: I have no expertise in photography and no knowledge of photography jargon. Just an ignorant opinion. I like your posts though.
Very pretty photos!
i think you really used the textures in a way that truly adds dimension to the images. they are beautiful and thoughtful. i love them all.
Beautiful work. xoxo. J