i ♥ faces~ Textures

Over at i ♥ faces, this week, they are celebrating the art of using Textures when editing photographs. This is something you won't see used OFTEN in my process, but I do throw a few in here and there. Usually, I like to keep my post processing down to a very minimum. In fact, I only tend to make the few tweaks needed due to using RAW format. I never, I and do repeat NEVER, touch the eyes on my subject. I will run a plug-in to reduce the noise in the photograph, if it is needed. For me, the simpler the better. However, sometimes there are just a photograph or two that make a cry for something special, and texture can really be that something. When used on the right photograph, it can really take a photo from good to GREAT.
To be honest, the most common reason I end up using texture is to hide a flaw. Yes...I said it. Texture is an awesome tool to salvage a mistake. A blurred shot. An overexposed shot. Too much grain. Texture can save it, and so it is with the shot I have chosen to share today. I took this particular photograph a few weekends ago, in celebration of my daughter's 5th birthday. While I got many keepers, I also had some mistakes. In the case of this shot, it was rather blurry, but I adored her expression. I wanted so badly to make it a keeper. I whipped out a texture, and was quite pleased with the results.

Head on over to i ♥ faces, and see all the great uses for textures. I'm certain there will be some really amazing works of art this week.