Negative space

Wooded shore

A quick post inspired by a scene I drive by everyday.  The fog was so thick this recent morning that nothing was discernible, not the far shore, not the detail of the ice heaves on the frozen water, not a thing.  And I only had with me my Canon point and shoot.

But I feel that the wooded shore image works, the reason being: negative space.  Simply put, negative space is the empty space around a subject.  Negative space can be used to balance an image, and frame and draw attention to the subject. The right amount of negative space can make a photo and the wrong amount can ruin one.  Like many aspects of photography, it’s subjective, a matter of what looks right to you, the photographer, and we have the benefit of being able to learn by practicing.

Solitary seagull

In this image, the negative space, consisting of the clouds in the background, frame the seagull, so there is no question as to what the subject is.

In your travels, try to “see” the negative space, experiment by capturing it in different ways, and note how your photography improves.  For more information on negative space, please see this article from Layers Magazine.

–  Posted by Ed