Which is why a majority of people view negative space as wasted space. (For instance, if you were to photograph a white flower against a white background.)Īnd while you can create interesting artistic effects by defining a white shape surrounded by white negative space, the results can be disastrous if you’re not careful.The word “negative” - rightfully so - has a negative connotation. So if you have a tiny person in the frame wearing a dark coat, you’ll want your negative space to be nice and bright that way, the tiny person pops off the page, and is clearly separate from the negative space.Ī big problem is when the subject is so similar to the negative space that you can’t easily distinguish the two. You see, you generally want your positive space to contrast heavily with the negative space. …the more difficult it’ll be to create a compelling image. The more similar the negative space is to the positive space… Contrast the Subject With the Negative Space In other words, positive space is the direct opposite of negative space.Ī key part of any photo’s positive space should be the subject, which should be the focal point of the image.Īnd there should also be some negative space, which–as previously discussed–gives the subject room to breathe, while drawing attention to that same subject. Positive space refers to areas that have something going on in them. Now, I’ve mentioned positive space a few times in this article, but it’s worth clearly defining it: Instead, the best compositions use negative space and positive space together to create a compelling result. Images should never be made up of only negative space. This one may seem like a no-brainer, but it really is important: Include Positive Space and Negative Space, Together Here, you might want to choose a tight composition that includes less negative space and far more positive space.īut if you’re aiming to create a sense of scale, where the subject feels tiny in comparison to the surrounding environment, then adding lots of negative space is the way to go. Now, this is obviously a problem if you’re trying to show a subject that looms large in the frame. The more negative space you show in relation to your subject, the smaller the subject feels (and the bigger the negative-space-filled surroundings feel). Note that this is relevant for photos of people, but also for photos of animals wildlife photographers use the rule of space all the time to compose images of bears, seals, birds, and more. That way, the viewer is able to follow the subject’s eyeline and see what they see (which is very satisfying overall). Simply recognize when a subject has a gaze (i.e., the subject is looking in some direction).Īnd put space for the subject to look into. This may sound complex, but it’s really not. You must also put space in front of a gazing subject. That said, there’s another aspect to the rule of space, which I mentioned above: So if you were to photograph a moving car, you’d need to shoot it like this: And they want to see where the subject is going.Īccording to the rule of space, you must include negative space in front of a moving subject, so that the photo feels dynamic rather than cramped. Whenever a subject is moving in the frame, viewers are able to sense its direction. The rule of space is a broadly applicable technique, used for composing shots that have either moving subjects or gazing subjects. Because negative space moves the eye toward anything positive, the tiniest distraction can ruin a minimalist composition.
Position the subject carefully–the rule of thirds is your friend here, though you can also rely on the golden ratio grid, or you can experiment with placing your main subject below or above the rule of thirds gridlines.įinally, make sure that there are zero distractions in the shot.
If you want to capture beautiful minimalist images, I recommend you start by finding a subject, something that you can place small in the frame. Minimalist photography is very eye-catching, because the negative space moves the eye straight toward the subject.Īnd minimalist photography tends to give a very atmospheric, airy feel to your images, because the image includes so little something, and so much nothing.
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