Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

This is a photo of a print on my wall - under glass and all (the tree is actually in focus in the print). NO pp discussion, please.

I cropped #1 this way to emphasize the mountain, as a study of its shape. Included the tree as a little twist of interest. To me, this balanced empty space of sky and foreground is a use of negative space. Let the discussion continue :)

#2 presents an entirely different feel - just a pretty mountain at sunset.

martinfisherphoto Loc: Lake Placid Florida

What is the subject and what is the negative space? If mountain then you have both sky and silhouette as your negative space. And then a tree in the foreground really throws a curve ball.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Mountain is subject and I wanted both sky and foreground as negative space to show off the shape of the mountain. Did I achieve? And is the tree a good curve ball over the plate for a strike? :)

Heirloom Tomato Loc: Oregon

It works for me! :-P I love it. I'll bet it looks wonderful enlarged and framed.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Thanks so much, Hope. It's been one of my favorites for 3 years. As for negative space, I recall one person mentioned in the topics of a few months ago that you know it when you see it :) Maybe that's all that matters, not one strict definition. I did find your analogy to music helpful in your comment to Nightski's topic.

martinfisherphoto Loc: Lake Placid Florida

What I was taught is One Subject, One negative space. Here you have a mountain and a tree then blue sky and black silhouette. The internet is confusing as seems lots of Opinions and Little Fact.. Guess I'm not positive myself.

vicksart Loc: Novato, CA -earthquake country

My understanding of negative space is that's virtually empty area that is not subject. It's as much a part of the composition as the subject in that you need to find a balance with it. If you want to find out whether that balance is working, you can turn the image upside down or look at it in a mirror. If it looks lopsided or "heavier" on one side than the other after doing that, then you need to rethink your cropping or how you need to reorganize your composition.

In the images above, it seems you demonstrate more of the rule of thirds principle with the first - dark is in the bottom third, subject fits in the middle third, and the sky is in the top third. That said, you'll find Mt. Rainier in the left third of both photos with the silhouetted tree balancing it.

In the second photo, the subject and dark foreground seem to take up the bottom half. If you wanted to crop out part of the sky and make that one more of a pano format, you'd have a balance similar to the first photo.

I think this all becomes fairly subjective when the basic balance works. In the end, it's a matter of how you like it.

Nightski

Okay, we all know that I should not comment. I can't help but say that I get more of the negative space feel from the bottom print. But ignore me. I just spent the day demonstrating my ignorance. :-)

ggttc Loc: TN

Theyre both good examples of negative space...in the first, which I think very worthy of being on a wall, you have 2 negative spaces...foreground and sky.

In the second the negative space is the sky.

Its a very subjective definition.

We all have seen the image of the white vase on the black backround which looks like two people facing each other...if you look at the vase, then the black is negative...if you look at the faces...then the white is negative space..

Go figure.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Thanks for your comments. I do find this debate very interesting :)

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Thank you for reminding me about turning an image upside down to detect imbalance, Vicki. I appreciate your input to this interesting topic of discussion!

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

You are such a delight, Sandra :)

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Thank you Greg, this is a fun topic and I love reading everyone's views.

winterrose Loc: Kyneton, Victoria, Australia

The term negative space is to be taken as a reference to a non-quantifiable element in the construction of an image.

There is no set hard and fast definition of, no absolute cutoff point, where the term commences or ceases to apply.

Rob.

Nightski

Vicki, when you used the word balance, I think you meant that there needs to be a relationship between the subject and the negative space. :-D I just learned that today :-D