Composition: effective use of negative space
Dec 29, 2017 19:31:13 #
tdekany wrote:
Without comparing to others, can you say what makes mine an effective use of negative space? I'll tell you my thoughts below To me, this is the best example of negative space so far, that has been posted
tdekany wrote:
Your shot is very similar to my deer in our composition choices. They both incorporate the environment to tell the story. A deer up to its neck in grasses and weeds, a muskrat (beaver?) chest-deep in water. Both seem to be in natural settings, probably where they earn their living. We even have each placed our subject off-center and looking into the frame.See if this snap qualifies.
The space that is not the subject gives us a sense of place. Does that make them examples of effective use of negative space? I'm willing to say yes based on definition #2 in the opening: Meaningful negative space adds to the story that the picture is telling
Dec 29, 2017 19:33:30 #
rjaywallace wrote:
Thank you, Linda. It is a worthy topic to keep in mind whenever we press that button. I need to train myself to stop and think before I capture an image.
Oh Ralph, thinking is so over-rated, lol. But seriously, I believe there's a fine balance between thinking too much about composition and letting our instincts take over to achieve results that don't feel forced vs. ticking off such-and-such boxes. Thanks for your interest in the topic!
Dec 29, 2017 19:37:40 #
CO wrote:
I think the field can be considered negative space because there are no features that could hold the viewer's interest.
CO wrote:
To me there's too much going on with the water to be considered negative space. The ripples in the water could hold the viewer's interest. Another might want to figure out what is floating in the water. I could be wrong. I'd like to hear what other people think.
Thanks so much for your thoughts. In the link I provided on page 1
http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/understanding-and-using-negative-space-in-photography
the fourth image has a huge amount going on outside of the subject. Actually, I think the entire image is "the subject," lol.
Dec 29, 2017 19:40:48 #
tdekany wrote:
Or this
PS: this is just a screen shot of my iPad
PS: this is just a screen shot of my iPad
For showing scale - most excellent IMO. A lot to ponder in this pic - how far has it swum, why, and how much further to go? I think the way the ripples circle outward from the subject add a lot of interest and since they go up and out of the frame, they add to the feeling of space.
Dec 29, 2017 19:46:58 #
Dec 29, 2017 20:01:47 #
Linda From Maine wrote:
Yes or no? Don't forget to say why, please 
Not to me, there isn’t enough negative space.
Dec 29, 2017 20:07:50 #
tdekany wrote:
Not to me, there isn’t enough negative space.
Good point; I think I was going more with "perceived" - the empty space we imagine is over the hill and down the road. Thanks much!
Dec 29, 2017 20:13:46 #
Linda From Maine wrote:
Good point; I think I was going more with "perceived" - the empty space we imagine is over the hill and down the road. Thanks much!
To answer your other question, you dear has more than enough negative space to qualify as an appropriate photo. IMO
Dec 29, 2017 21:17:42 #
Dec 29, 2017 21:25:26 #
Dec 30, 2017 00:46:35 #
A photograph has the capability of swamping the viewer with a lot more information than he wants or needs, thus obscuring the core intent of the photographer. I always try to distill my desired subject, helping it to emerge. Empty space is marvellous for that purpose, IMHO, especially when it is appropriate for the subject. In the case of the German angler, I wanted to capture his quirky serenity, his pleasure in his freedom. His pole and line, and the gear by his side, would have been obscured by any more details. The roadside prayer station was a polar opposite, emotionally. I felt a sense of abandonment there, as though it had been a long time since anybody had knelt before it. These prayer stations used to dot the Bavarian countryside, but I believe some -- perhaps many -- have been stolen and sold abroad. The barely visible roadway is lined by trees on each side and leads past the station, which is turned away from it.
A German WW II survivor finds peace at last - 1946
A handcarved roadside prayer station waits for sinners by an empty rural Bavarian road - 1946
Dec 30, 2017 01:19:33 #
Linda From Maine wrote:
Yes or no? Don't forget to say why, please
No. The photographer apparently was attracted by the pattern of the receding poles, but that does not have enough graphic power to hold the viewer's attention. and the attempt to use negative space at photo left fails because it has no relation to what's going on at photo right. If you crop out the ohoto left section, leaving only the three main poles and the truck (I wish that was not there), you'll see those three poles suddenly grow and take over the image, making it more interesting, I think. Of course, that eliminates the negative space from the discussion.
Dec 30, 2017 05:12:06 #
tdekany wrote:
Both fantastic photos but I wouldn’t put them in the negative space category.
I see you had added a third photo. That would qualify in my opinion.
Dec 30, 2017 05:41:17 #
Linda From Maine wrote:
Yes or no? Don't forget to say why, please
No, not this one. The poles break up what could have been negative space. I hope it's OK, I wanted to see how it would be if there were no poles. I think the sky is now negative space. I know it's not good to edit someone's else's photo here. I'll get admin to remove it if it's not OK.
Dec 30, 2017 07:05:27 #
Linda From Maine wrote:
Your shot is very similar to my deer in our compos... (show quote)
Interesting and difficult subject Linda especially for a relative beginner like me.
I offer this 'self portrait' as an example of use of negative space. I suppose, at a very basic level, some may feel the windows nullify the negative space. However, I included the two windows to lead the eye back across the wall to the subject (me) and to provide balance. If I had included three windows, the 'group of three' would have been a competing subject, but two creates a dot-dot-dash rhthym. At least that was my thinking when I composed the picture.
Of course it would have worked better with a beautiful model or a gnarly 'American Gothic' farmer with a pitch fork, but you go with what you have.
Comment / critique appreciated.
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