How Textures Can Make A Difference

It never ceases to amaze me how an "average" photo taken with the camera settings on "Auto" can be made into something above average with a simple texture.  There is hope for us all when it comes to taking photos! 

This is the photo straight out of the camera.  No editing. No nothing.  I'm sure you've seen a thousand photos just like this one.  Just a random seagull, slightly over exposed, with so-so balance in the photograph. 

I found this texture by doing a Google search.  To be honest, I had no idea what kind of texture would look good with this photo so I used a vague term like "texture" for my search just to see what sort of images popped up. 

To apply the texture... (In Photoshop) I copied and pasted it onto the image of the seagull so it created a layer.  Then I opened up the blending options for the texture layer and adjusted the blend mode (for this one in particular I chose "dark color").  A little bit of texture layer was erased over the seagull so the bird wouldn't have creases/cracks in it.  The photo was then cropped the photo so there is a more even balance .

Let this be a great example of how you don't have to have all your settings just right or a perfectly composed photo to create something beautiful.  Sometimes its just as important to not miss a moment rather than waiting for the perfect shot to happen.  Go ahead.  Press the shutter button.  You'll still end up with something great.