Adding texture to your photographs has become en vogue in the past few years. With the popularity of canvas gallery wraps, I am a big fan of adding some texture to a handful of photographs that may end up on canvas. I have had a few photographers ask about the textures I use, so I thought that I would post here.

First, you will need a texture file to use. I take a lot of photographs of interesting textures and create my own, but some of the time I am looking for something specific and I will turn to a set of actions that I purchased from Bruce Dorn and Maura Dutra. In order to use these actions (or to use a file of your own) you will need to understand layers and layer masks in photoshop. Basically I will add the texture as a layer on top of the photograph. Sometimes I change the layer style, and sometimes I leave it as is (it depends on the photograph). I adjust the textured layer and then I’ll use a layer mask to paint away the texture in certain areas of the photograph (the faces, for example).

Textures aren’t for everyone, but for me they add a certain reality to the photograph. I really like the use of texture in this one- the first file is the original, the second is the file with texture:

I photographed the wedding of Amelia and Brian a few weeks ago- it was one of my favorite post-wedding shoots that I have done. Amelia and Brian were troopers- they got up early the day after their wedding so that we could photograph with the best light available. By the end of the shoot, they were totally immersed in the water! What a couple!

This is one of my favorite photographs- they are nuzzling by the rocks as the sun comes up!

Amelia and Brian flew down from Chicago for their destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta. We wanted to go to the beach after the ceremony for their couple/bridal party pics, but it was Semana Santa in Mexico and it was impossible to even get out of the hotel because it was so crowded! Fortunately, we planned a post-wedding shoot, so we simply decided to do the beach shoot the following day. Their ceremony was absolutely gorgeous- what a great sky! Here are some of my favorite photographs: