Flower Photos: Textural Creations by Terry Holdren

Textural flower photography goes beyond the bloom to capture the fine detail – petals, pollen, veins and dew. The keys are macro magnification, soft light, and precise focus on the texture. Here’s how to shoot textural flower photos.

Author: Terry Holdren

I have been asked by iPhotography if I would give you a guide on how I take my textured flowers photographs. So here I go…

How I Shoot My Flower Photos

Normally I take my initial flower photos using my 100mm macro lens.  Usually handheld, but at times, especially if I have extension tubes, I will use my tripod.

When I select what flowers to photograph, I do my best to find flowers without any blemishes, if possible. I will normally take my photos in the shade or use a diffuser as I don’t want any shadows on them.

Where to Find Textured Stock Photographs

The textures I use on my floral images I had to purchase. There are several places online you can find texture files for free, but sometimes the quality isn’t the same as the premium ones.

Previously I have bought from Kathleen Clemons Textures and Leslie Nicole Textures.

How I Edit in the Texture Flower Photos Together

1. I edit my photos in Lightroom, making any adjustments as needed. I then will take it over to Photoshop by right-clicking on the picture and pressing EDIT IN > PHOTOSHOP.

2. Once in Photoshop, with my flower photo selected I will then choose the texture file I want to place over it.

3. Under FILE, select PLACE EMBEDDED then select your texture. The texture file will then appear over your photo. You want to make sure all edges cover the photo before you press ENTER.

By doing this you will see you have added a layer to your original photo.

4. Now this is where your creativity needs to come into play. You will need to choose the right layer blending mode, which is a dropdown in the layers panel.

5. There are several to choose from depending on the look you want. I normally select either NORMAL, MULTIPLY, SOFT LIGHT or OVERLAY. Next, I adjust the opacity slider to control the strength and transparency of the texture layer.

Adjusting the Texture with Layer Masks

First, you need to add a layer mask to the top layer. Look at the Layers panel and click the top layer to make sure it’s selected. Then click the third icon along the bottom to add a white layer thumbnail to the texture layer.

Secondly, go to your photo and select the BRUSH TOOL. You want to make sure the colour palette is set to black and white. Ensure the foreground colour is black, this will mask the texture.

I almost always use a soft-edged brush. You can change the hardness of the brush by right-clicking when using and reducing the hardness slider. I tend to start at 75% for the main portion of the flower I want to show through the texture.

Then I just adjust down to 50% and then 30% as I get to the edges of the flower. Make sure when brushing to use small strokes and stop often. This way if you need to undo parts, you are only having to do small parts.

Finally, once you have the photo as you like, select the drop-down menu from the layers panel and press FLATTEN ALL LAYERS – then save.

Couldn’t be much easier!

See more of Terry Holdren’s photography here.

For more, read our guide to flower photography.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a texture overlay?

A photograph of a surface – peeling paint, old paper, fabric, rust – laid over your own image as a layer and blended in, so its grain and marks show through the picture underneath.

Which blend mode should I use for texture overlays?

Start with Overlay or Soft Light, then try Multiply if you want the texture darker and Screen if you want it lighter. Drop the layer opacity back until the effect stops announcing itself.

Where do I get texture files?

Buy a pack, or make your own, which is free and gives you something nobody else has. Photograph old walls, watercolour paper, cracked pavement and rusted metal in flat overcast light, straight on, and keep them in one folder.

Why does my texture overlay look fake?

Usually because it is sitting on top of the whole frame at full strength. Mask the texture off the subject’s face or the centre of the flower, let it live in the background and the edges, and pull the opacity down further than feels right.

Does this work on any photograph?

It works best on simple images with a clear subject and space around it, which is why flowers, single objects and quiet portraits suit it. A busy frame has no room left for another layer of detail.