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Do You Use Negative Space as an Element in your Image Compositions?
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Feb 3, 2021 09:11:00   #
srt101fan
 
nervous2 wrote:
Wallen: Thanks for your examples. These are some design elements that I had not noticed before. I will not look at FedEx logos the same way anymore. Nice to learn something so early in the day.


I second that!

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Feb 3, 2021 09:12:54   #
adedeluca Loc: holbrook ny
 
This is excellent do not over think it

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Feb 3, 2021 09:13:20   #
Shooter41 Loc: Wichita, KS
 
Mac wrote:
I think your shot is well composed and I agree that having negative space in front so the subject has room to “move” is a good idea.


Dear Mac...Thank you for your helpful comment.

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Feb 3, 2021 09:13:59   #
Shooter41 Loc: Wichita, KS
 
adedeluca wrote:
This is excellent do not over think it


Dear adeduluca...Got your meaning!

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Feb 3, 2021 09:18:15   #
Shooter41 Loc: Wichita, KS
 
robertjerl wrote:
The rule of composition I learned is leave space for the subject to move into unless your compositional message is "Oh God! I'm gonna go SPLAT!!!" I have seen some compositions where the idea was to show the subject was leaving - but in the back of my mind I still hear "splat".


Dear robertjerl...I recall being at my parents farm near Fredonia, Kansas and hearing a BANG! on their picture window. I asked my father what that noise was. He explained that's another bird breaking its neck hitting the picture window hare, thinking they could fly through the house after seeing light from the kitchen window coming through the large picture window. (Birds would be better off if they had radar!) Thank you for your comment.

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Feb 3, 2021 09:36:36   #
saxman71 Loc: Wenatchee
 
Wallen wrote:
Some clever use of negative space in Logos:

.


These are super examples of the use of negative space and I learned something here today (again). I too have never really noticed the arrow in the FedEx logo. But I see it now that it has been pointed out to me and it may have provided some sort of subliminal message all along.

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Feb 3, 2021 10:34:29   #
Kozan Loc: Trenton Tennessee
 
Shooter41 wrote:
All of us old-timers remember listening to Superman on the radio back in the day. Some of us even saw the movie which showed where Superman came from and the family that raised him on Earth. The Starling in the attached image is scrunched up in a muscular ball ready to spring off of the hanging bird feeder with enough forward momentum to take off mid-air. While composing and editing the image, I asked myself if negative space ahead of the Starling was appropriate in that would be where he would take off. Would the photographers interested in composition on UHH care to share their thoughts regarding whether the negative space in my creation is appropriate or could be better?
All of us old-timers remember listening to Superma... (show quote)


Normally, negative space detracts from the subject. It's ok if you are shooting for a bank ad or a magazine cover, but in general I don't think it is a good idea, especially if the negative space is "busy". You don't want anything to detract from the subject. If it doesn't help tell the story, don't use it.

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Feb 3, 2021 10:40:18   #
Bubbee Loc: Aventura, Florida
 
Love it! But you left out "More powerful than a locomotive!"

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Feb 3, 2021 12:05:20   #
Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan
 
Shooter41 wrote:
All of us old-timers remember listening to Superman on the radio back in the day. Some of us even saw the movie which showed where Superman came from and the family that raised him on Earth. The Starling in the attached image is scrunched up in a muscular ball ready to spring off of the hanging bird feeder with enough forward momentum to take off mid-air. While composing and editing the image, I asked myself if negative space ahead of the Starling was appropriate in that would be where he would take off. Would the photographers interested in composition on UHH care to share their thoughts regarding whether the negative space in my creation is appropriate or could be better?
All of us old-timers remember listening to Superma... (show quote)


Everyone knows there are no hard and fast rules of composition. The technique of leaving "lead room" in front of a moving subject although admirable has its exceptions too. Presented for your perusal.









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Feb 3, 2021 12:07:31   #
Shooter41 Loc: Wichita, KS
 
Bubbee wrote:
Love it! But you left out "More powerful than a locomotive!"


Dear Bubbee...You do know SUPERMAN!

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Feb 3, 2021 12:10:08   #
Shooter41 Loc: Wichita, KS
 
Fotoartist wrote:
Everyone knows there are no hard and fast rules of composition. The technique of leaving "lead room" in front of a moving subject although admirable has its exceptions too. Presented for your perusal.


Dear Fotoartist...Thank you for the ostensive visual examples which are a lot more helpful that just text alone.

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Feb 3, 2021 12:47:34   #
Tom85
 
When I first looked at Shooter41 bird photo, and before reading all the splendid comments, I immediately got the feeling of drama. The negative space worked for me after I ignored the text.

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Feb 3, 2021 13:06:09   #
MrMophoto Loc: Rhode Island "The biggest little"
 
After reading most of the comments, I think there is some confusion. Lead room is not the same thing as negative space. Lead room is an area that the "movement" in the photo can move into, a photo with "movement" and no room for it to move into is often disconcerting to the eye. From a graphic design perspective there is negative & positive spaces & shapes. Negative space is the area that's not taken up by a positive shape. To add a little more confusion, negative/positive space/shape are all interchangeable as in the arrow in the Fedex logo.

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Feb 3, 2021 13:17:08   #
JOHNERIKSSON Loc: CENTRAL WISCONSIN
 
this photo does not work. My eye goes to the empty space and then looks for the subject because the subject is not in the right place, (area on the left side.) is out of sight completely destroying the photo It would go in my trash bin or be reworked in photoshop. far less space on the right center and some space on the left.
I do speak from some experience making a living selling pictures for thirty years.

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Feb 3, 2021 14:28:02   #
Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan
 
Shooter41 wrote:
Dear Fotoartist...Thank you for the ostensive visual examples which are a lot more helpful that just text alone.


Thanks. I guess my point is although lead room in a potentially moving subject is a valid concept it shouldn't be a hard and fast rule in every shot especiallly those with interesting trails.

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