After moving from Oregon to eastern Texas, VP of Product Dan Harlacher rediscovers creative inspiration by slowing down and seeing everyday scenes differently. This post explores how personal photography projects, textures, and ON1 Photo RAW 2026 can turn ordinary surroundings into creative opportunities. Plus you’ll get a new set of 25 creative textures—each available in sharp and softly blurred versions—paired with one-click portrait presets to instantly create beautiful, studio-style backgrounds inside Photo RAW 2026.

Creative inspiration doesn’t always come from dramatic landscapes or iconic locations. Sometimes, it comes from learning to see differently. This past summer, I moved from the Portland, Oregon area to Tyler in eastern Texas. As a native Oregonian, I had been spoiled with endless photographic variety—mountains, coastlines, forests, rivers, and farmland all within a couple of hours’ drive. Finding a place to photograph felt effortless.

Eastern Texas has its own beauty, but it’s different. The piney woods are green yet unfamiliar. There are no waterfalls to chase, no hills to climb for sweeping vistas, and no obvious postcard scenes. If I’m being honest, I found myself in a creative slump—something many photographers experience when their surroundings change.

A Shift in Perspective

One afternoon, while out mountain biking on a dry winter day, I was thinking about those differences. Back in Oregon, it would likely be cold, rainy, and gray. Instead, here I was riding in sunshine, surrounded by woods that feel like perpetual fall.

Then I clipped a tree with my handlebars and crashed.

Lying there in the crunchy leaves, staring up at bare branches against a blue sky, something clicked. There was beauty all around me—it just wasn’t what I was used to photographing.

A Monthly Photography Project Commitment

Right then, I made a promise to myself: every month this year, I would take on a new photography project idea to reconnect with my creative groove. Later that day, while nursing a sore body with a beer at the local pub, I started writing a list. As it grew, I realized sharing these projects might help the ON1 community too. Many photographers feel creatively stuck at some point, especially when familiar inspiration disappears.

So I grabbed my camera and wandered through downtown Tyler with no plan—just looking for what I like to call wild art.

Discovering Wild Art

Wild art is what you find when you walk without expectations. You don’t chase shots—you respond to what’s in front of you.

It might be:

  • Light and shadow patterns
  • A flower pushing through a sidewalk crack
  • A weathered wall full of texture
  • A quiet human moment

This approach is one of my favorite ways to rediscover creative photography inspiration, especially when traditional subjects aren’t available.

Turning Textures Into Creative Tools

One thing I always look for is texture. Concrete walls, peeling paint, and aging surfaces are incredibly versatile in post-processing.

I use textures:

  • In composites
  • To replace dull backgrounds
  • To add mood to portraits
  • As overlays for depth and character

In less than an hour—covering just a few downtown blocks—I found a wide variety of textures. That’s when another idea came together. Using ON1 Photo RAW 2026, I could combine these textures with lens blur and powerful subject masking to create portrait background presets that replace backgrounds in a single click—giving photographers a flexible, studio-style solution without stepping indoors.

Collection of creative texture backgrounds included in ON1 Photo RAW 2026 for use in portrait background presets and composites.

Tyler Soft Magic Backgrounds (Free Content)

That idea became this month’s gift to you.

The Tyler Soft Magic Backgrounds include:

  • 25 new textures
  • In-focus and softly blurred versions
  • One-click presets designed for portraits

These portrait background presets are included in the January content update for ON1 Photo RAW 2026, delivered automatically. Look for the Tyler Soft Magic Backgrounds category in your Preset Browser.

Note: This free update also includes Nikon Z R support and updated lens profiles. Just launch ON1 Photo RAW 2026 and these will automatically download and install for you. Again, you will only be able to get these by launching version 2026 and they will download and install automatically. Once installed, open Effects, and got to the Presets tab and it will look like this:

Tips for Best Results

For the most realistic results:

  • Use images with a clear subject, especially people
  • Best suited for headshots and three-quarter-length portraits
  • Use the Move Edge slider to refine mask blending
  • Rotate backgrounds as needed for portrait orientation
  • Match background brightness to your subject

Creativity Is Everywhere

This experience reminded me that creativity isn’t about location—it’s about awareness. Whether you’re surrounded by mountains or city streets, inspiration is always there if you’re willing to slow down and look. With the right mindset—and the right photo editing software—even ordinary scenes can become something special.

Here’s to finding inspiration wherever you are, and creating with confidence using ON1 Photo RAW 2026.