Photographers often use the post-production process to achieve a more artistic and rustic/antique quality in their photographs by utilizing Photoshop filters, actions, and even texture layers. While Photoshop filters and action sets can easily be applied and created within the software itself, natural looking texture are usually more convincing they are taken from a “real” photograph instead of a software-rendered image.
However, usable textures of high quality are usually very hard to find online. So I basically, went out and took my own texture photos. Among the 20 to 30 photographs taken, the following eight textures seem to work the best for me. Once applied to photographs, I also simplify the overall color and details of these photos to enhance its effectiveness.
A lot of photographers and photoshoppers who regularly visit my site asked about textures and I thought I’d put some up for you, these are downloadable, by the way. You’re welcome.
Please note, in order to effectively blend these textures into your photographs, the use of Photoshop layers, layer mask and layer blending mode are highly recommended. Not all textures will work for every photograph. You should definitely take the time to test on and play around with a few of them before deciding which will work for a particular picture. You may be able to create variations of a textured image by applying more than one texture to your photograph. Another good technique is to use a small section or pieces of texture instead of using the entire texture image. Just look for interesting patterns within the whole and you’re bound to find something that works best. One effective way to create a unique effect is to apply a white texture onto your photography instead of using a black one. The use of these textures, in combination with the advance editing tools available on Photoshop, can potentially produce an endless array of artistic possibilities.
