The Photo Game: Texture
Background
I joined Kenneth Wajda and a small group of photographers in a weekly photo game a while ago. Kenneth wrote a prompt each week and tasked us with creating a photograph that met the prompt. Unfortunately, Kenneth's photo game is taking a break.
Since I'm not prepared to give up the game, my wife graciously agreed to provide me with a surprise prompt each week so that I can continue.
The rules are still the same:
- All submissions must be scans of film; no photos from digital cameras
- Images must be captured, processed, and submitted by 8 AM each Saturday
- Miss a week, and you're out
My goal in playing is simple. Get out and shoot film.
This Week
This week's photo shows a heavily textured tree trunk. I wanted to include a picture of a tree trunk as soon as I read this week's prompt. It's the perfect subject for a contrasty black and white photo.
To paraphrase one of the many YouTube photographers I watch (I can't remember which one), "It's called black and white photography, not gray and gray." So, with that in mind, I darkened the shadows, brightened the highlights, and called it a day.
Adding contrast like this is the same method I used to edit most photos for a long time. It doesn't require much skill, and it's overdone, but I like the look. I can't be bothered to do much else. I prefer capturing photos more than editing and retouching them.