Shooting Challenge: 37 Tactile Textures… Vote For Your Favourite!


Sorry for the delay guys, but last week’s Shooting Challenge is finally ready for your viewing pleasure. There are some amazing photos in this bunch, so start voting for your favourite photographer! They might just win an Olympus micro four-thirds camera!

For five weeks, Gizmodo readers (and the friends they convince to vote for them) are voting one weekly Shooting Challenge finalist through to the prize round to be judged and announced by Gizmodo editors on Wednesday, July 25.

Note: In the interests of fairness, voting has been restricted to one per user, based on cookie and IP.

Voting still closes at 10am on Tuesday, July 31.

Prizes


The Olympus OM-D EM-5 is designed to make the jump into DSLR easy. With Live View functionality that lets you see exactly what a shot will look like before you take it, coupled with a 5-axis in-body image stabiliser for shooting in low light, and a retro design inspired by the first OM-D from 1972, the EM-5 lets you capture some beautiful shots. More at Olympus.

We’re excited to be able to give another camera away to Gizmodo’s Shooting Challenge faithful.

The kit you’re playing for is valued at $1499, and includes the OM-D EM-5 body and 12-50mm lens, both of which are weatherproof so you can feel confident when Mother Nature turns on you.


Want to join the challenge? Enter this week’s theme: Liquid.

Note: Going forward, linking friends from your social networks to the Gizmodo voting page will still be encouraged, however, please don’t use “vote farming” sites including (but not limited to) GetOnlineVotes or link directly to polldaddy.com. The goal is to grow the Giz Shooting Community in the fairest way possible.

Also a reminder to please be respectful and constructive if leaving a comment about any photo.


Last Week’s Most Voted Photo — Camera 1 Finalist 4 Of 4

Last week was all about impressive wintery shots and Tony Dal Masetto moves into the final round judged by Gizmodo’s editors. Stay tuned today for the winner of the first Olympus OM-D EM-5 camera!

The first photo entries for the second EM-5 we’re giving away are below. Which do you like best?
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This Week’s Entries

Click on images to zoom into gallery mode, and don’t forget to scroll down to vote.

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Martin Lattke

This old wall from a Church impressed me when I took a walk at sunset. It reminded me of old pictures of the Dutch graphic artist M. C. Escher.

Canon EOS 60D, f/5.6, 1/125, ISO-100, EF-S 18-135mm.

Jason Ruth

Wasn’t what I had planned, but still the fence in Wahroonga that lines the start of the F3 is timber, beautifully offset by a tree shedding its bark. As it was towards the last light of the day, it was a tripod shoot, with a Nikon D300, 16-85mm lens, remote release, set at aperture priority, f/13 and a 6 second shutter, ISO200, matrix metering, shot as a 12bit RAW image. Once home Camera RAW convert to colour jpeg, then black & white conversion using Silver Efex Pro.

Thane Melhuish

I’m very, VERY new to photography. My entry is tree bark from a tree on the footpath of Victoria Square in the heart of Adelaide, South Australia. My camera is a Canon 1100D, with the standard 18-55mm lens, in Av on the dial, ISO was set to Auto, I honestly don’t understand what all the settings are, I just try and take good photos.

Jason Round

I had to get back to Cockatoo Island, Sydney for this one, which is basically a giant texture-fest. I remembered these boxes and was pleased to see they were still there, though in a greater state of decay. I could have stayed here all day shooting stuff. I should note this is not HDR. I simply applied localised curves in PS.

Taken with my old Canon 1D MkII w/28-70mm f2.8 at 2.8, ISO 100, 55mm, 1/320th, RAW

Dejana Storey

I had been up to my waist in the water at my local beach taking photos for this competition.
As I was pulling myself back up the hill dripping with seawater and covered in wet sand I spotted this tree…

Much like the other trees on this foreshore the wind had ripped and peeled back the bark like thin paper, making way for the vibrant textures of the moss and undergrowth that creep up from the ground at the tree’s base.

Canon EOS 1000D :: ISO 400 :: f/5.6 :: 1/100 sec :: 27mm lens

Kanwar Plaha

Camera: Olympus EM-5
Lens: 12-50mm
ISO: 400
Shutter Speed: 1/40s
Aperture: F6.3
Focal Length: 50mm

Jet Abanat

After seeing so many fantastic images over the past weeks, I finally decided to go out and take some shots. This is an old peach tree in my backyard. Took me a while to get a good shot especially with just a point-and-shoot camera. Adjusted the levels and filter in Photoshop.

Olympus VR-310
ISO 125
f/3.9

Gabriel Feng

Seeing the texture competition pretty late I didn’t really have an idea in mind, I just kept the theme ‘Texture’ in my head where ever I went. I spotted this spot of moss on a rock while out taking photos of houses for another project. I used an off camera.

Georgina Luczi

Title: Exo-leaf
I really enjoy this photo’s 2 tone texture; from the vibrant and very alive leaf, to the old, cracked bark of the tree.
Camera: Olympus E-PL3
Lens:14.0-42.0mm f/3.5-5.6

Renato Avanzini

Texture is the most enduring and ubiquitous underpinning of form… certainly a calming, meditative and appealing world for both the eye and mind. (Lynda Lehmann)

The texture of the roof of the control tower on Pyrmont Bridge, Sydney
Shot on my Canon EOS 600D
f/8 1/80sec ISO-100

Brandon Rossen

This was shot on my iphone 4S, using hipstamatic using the Jane lens and Blanko film, was walking over a bridge and saw the great texture of the ripples in the sand mixing with refraction of the water.

Xavier Tan

Something that always captivated me is how trees and animals shed layers of their skins at different points of time in life & depicts its former self in a new transformation. I like how the peeling outer bark, the inner bark, nodes & scars each has a unique texture & story to share. These textured layers come together over time to compose a wordless biography of nature.

Olympus E-P3
20mm
f/5.0
1/20 sec
ISO 200

Sam Reed

I came upon this wave like structure while enjoying a glass of wine with friends and decided it fit the bill. I don’t think it needs to be more complicated than that, but if you wanted to associate the ocean/beach with it I could write you a tale of how I miss the sunny sandy beaches back home and the significance behind the image, but instead it can speak for itself.

Taken on a Canon IXUS 230, fairly standard settings. Tweaked the contrast slightly to accentuate the detail.

Branco Anderson

I’ve applied a B&W filter, which I feel accentuates the texture of the woods. I haven’t been too much places around the world, but I do watch a lot of movies. And it makes me feel like I’m looking at a background scene of “Sleepy Hollow”. It would be better if there’s mist, but I live in tropical QLD, so it’s not going to happen.
Canon EOS 600D
f/5.6
1/50 sec
ISO1600
focal length 47mm

Brendan Meharry

I came across this layered texture as I was exploring a local weir. It’s part of the machinery from where a concrete factory use to be in the 40’s when the dam was heightened
Canon EOS 1100D, f/6.3, 1/400, ISO-100, 18mm.

Merlyn Cantwell

The plumbers workshop at the disused Korumburra rail yard, this great corrugated shed epitomises texture on a grand scale. A bit of a nostalgic photo shoot for me today. The passenger and goods trains that my Dad drove are no longer used in South Gippsland. Taken with Canon EOS 350D and 100mm macro lens ( my main everyday lens is being repaired)
Manual mode 1/320 6.3 ISO 400 . Cropped and vignette added in Picasa.

Kelsey Anna Phillips

I used a Canon Digital IXUS 70. The setting for the shot was inspired by my latest painting (mixed media). I just loved how the texture and colour was so childish in colour and influence but then it is also juxtaposed with the violence of the destroyed canvas and the stitches used to “save” what is left of it. I used the Macro and vivid colour settings on the camera to lay emphasis on the ridges and texture of the different aspects of the painting and to highlight detail. I used my bedside lamp to create depth of light within the grooves and indentations of the painting which gave it a more “dramatic” effect.

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Michael Dean

An unedited photo i took of an old rusted wheelbarrow i have in the backyard. Lots of holes and dirt which i thought was brought out really well by shooting in monochrome.
One of my first shoots with the Mark II and pretty happy how the shots are coming out so far, hopefully more to come!
5D Mark II – 24-105

Rory Obrien

Working in the garden, I had dragged a large potted Bird’s Nest Fern out onto the lawn when I remembered this week’s challenge. First off I started shooting the green striped leaves – only when I lay down for a close-up did I see this fella curled under a dead leaf. I love the sheen of the shell and the waves of the leaf – the earthy colours really tie it all together.

Shot in Raw with a Canon 550D at 1/60, f4.0, ISO 400 with 24mm Sigma macro lens.

Rachael Ledwich

Taken on a foggy morning in the bush. In in a peaceful moment when I escaped my lovely 3 and 6 year old and snuck in a little of my favourite pastime, Photography. The light was still beautiful, even past that golden hour that I am always asleep for. I love the DOF, it’s a little bit abstract and I also love well the spikeyness of it.
Taken with a Canon 450d.
Lens: Canon EF-S 18-55mm
ISO: 400
Shutter: f/500

Sharath Maheshwar

I came across this photo competition during my sunday brekky that (among other things) had a toast with marmalade. Got my canon 5dmk2, snapped on a 100mm macro lens, a flash hooked to a remote trigger, color gel (for the flash) and a few tissues that doubled as diffusers.
Had only enough marmalade for a last spread in the jar. It was quickly used up to spread on a transparent plastic sheet. After a few attempts I got the bubbles trapped in the spread – all good to go for the competition.
Canon 5d mk2
100mm f 2.8@ f13
1/45th ISO 50,
Canon 550 Ex2 flash in manual mode
Manual focus and flash setting.
Tissue diffusers and a last spread of marmalade 😀

Jay Daley

I couldn’t work out what to shoot so took a walk through the local coles looking for some inspiration and…. here’s my entry 🙂
Shot with a Nikon D800 and 105mm Macro lens + Nikon SB900 Flash. 1/100th, f32, ISO250.

Tiffany Liew

As I finished dinner tonight and mulled over nearly missing the shooting challenge deadline, the asian stir fry I had consumed left behind a funnily opportune moment to capture! The sesame oil left a funny slick over the soy sauce surface, the cast shadow beneath creating a curious illusion of depth.
Canon 550D + 18-55mm at 55mm, ISO800, f5.6, 1/60sec handheld. Processed in Photoshop.

Philip Bohm

This texture is of the of the car loading floor of the Spirit of Tasmania. I was waiting to drive off at 6:30am, imagining that outside the sun was rising, and on the floor in front of my feet, there it was.

Ben Vawdrey

Cold Steel, Morning Sun.
Canon 550d w/Canon 70-200 f2.8L, Extension tubes, Off Camera 430EX II @ 125mm f/6.3, 1/320th, ISO 400.
It’d been raining all night, but it was a beautiful sunny day in Qld. I thought it’d be a perfect time to capture the raindrops in the morning sun. This was the first image I’d taken. My Barbeque hood was still wet and the drops looked awesome with the sun shining on them. I used 3 Extension tubes stacked and an off camera 430 ex to help with lighting and shutter speed as this was hand held.

Edwin Wong

There are some amazing old trees in Baxter’s favourite dog park where we go everyday, all of them got great texture. i shot it with Sony Nex-5N, 18-200mm lens, f/6.3, ISO 320, hope you like it

Nick Karras

Though this may look like yarn it is in fact the head of a mop. The justification behind choosing it was its variation of colour and unlikely appealing texture up close i felt gave it an authentic feel with the unaltered fibers which gently intertwine around each strand. I really like how the mop up close had a soft texture as opposed its purpose which is wet and dirty.

Jonathon Cleaver

Realising that I didn’t have long to get in, I went wandering around the house looking for interesting subjects to photograph. Our house is naturally messy, so it didn’t take long for me to find something. For some reason a bobbin for a spinning-wheel had been left on the window sill. I don’t know why it was there, but the morning sun was shining right onto it making it glow with an intense white. I photographed it from a number of angles and decided upon this one, I then cropped it in Photoshop and adjusted the levels.
Sony Cybershot
f:4.5
Shutter: 1/500 sec
ISO:100.

Stayc Brennan

I organised a photo shoot with some friends from work at Brisbane Botanical Gardens at Mount Coot-tha. I borrowed a Canon 100mm IS Macro L lens for the afternoon. It was impossible to not fall in love with the lens. The image is a macro shot of a palm tree. I love the texture that the image details. You can see the fibers of the bark , thorns and a spiders web.
I shot this with my Canon 60D set at f3.2 for 1/50 second ISO 100.

Noah Stammbach

The spider that made this fine web was nowhere to be seen, would have liked to known what it looked like! The web was no more than 10cm across.

Taken in the bush near Cowan, in a scarce patch of sunlight. A supposedly 1 hour walk turned into 4 hours.. Creating pictures is fun.

Stephen Moylan

I thought the contrast of the corroding copper and the bricks in the background made for a very interesting photo. Plus I love colour!
This was taken with my 50mm prime, 6 seconds, ISO100.

Samantha Simmonds

This is an image of my beautiful Golden Retriever, Lars. I started taking shots of him when he was awake, and as I was taking them he decided to have a nap. Hence, the reason that I could get so close.
Taken with my Sony TX10.

Jonathan Ward

This week’s photo was taken on an iPhone 4s f2.4 1/25 6mm and then digital darkroomed in lightroom.
This shot uses the texture of flour, food colouring and Turmeric, on a reflective granite bench top to create a tranquil lake scene. The clear blue sky was created by using a paper back, and this ensure an even texture in the “lake”. I think it’s quite interesting to make a texture into a scene!

Maurizio Manca

I love touching surfaces. When I walk next to a wall, a door or a tree, I can’t resist touching it to feel it’s texture. Often I also knock, to hear and feel it better.
While I was thinking about this new competition I stumbled over the thought of goose-bumps and realised that I’ve never seen a nice and inspiring picture of it. Maybe also because often it is a moment that disappears quickly. This was shot with candlelight only with a tripod. The shot is a raw jpeg and has not been altered at all, except of file size.
Canon 550D
135mm Lens
ISO 800
f5.6
1 / 4 sec

Jeffrey Truong

This is a picture of ice with an interesting lighting setup which gives it a three dimension look to it. Look a bit like wisps of smoke and has an alien feel to it.
Olympus e-p3 @ f1.7, iso1000, 1/100s

David Johnson

A Sliver of Texture
I was looking at many Cliche shots of texture I had taken and thinking of how to do this differently to them, I had sandpaper, grass, wet sponges and many more …..I decided to go with the simplest of shots and use depth of field to show a contrast of what we feel and what it really looks like, the carpet is very soft underfoot and nice to feel but in this close shot looks like a rough ridge of fibre
Camera 600D
Lens:55-250@250
Apperture: f/5.6
Shutter: 1/13sec
ISO: 100
Image correction : None

Chris Page

Was walking up from Waterfall Gully to Mt Lofty in SA when I noticed this speckled green moss on a fallen down branch. It had been raining earlier in the day, and the dark moist bark, combined with the contrasting moss seems to really bring out the textures.
Taken with a HTC One XL, so nothing fancy. ISO is apparently 147… f4.

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