A little negativity can go a long way

One of my most important personal rules in life is to surround myself with positive people and eliminate negativity.  As someone more famous than I once said; you have to think positive to be positive, and a negative mind will never give you a positive life.  This philosophy can truly make you a happier person and in turn a better photographer.  But when it comes to photography itself, lack of negativity isn’t always a positive thing.

In previous posts and articles, I’ve talked about some basic well-known composition techniques…rule of thirds, leading lines, framing, etc.  But there are many other techniques that can help add interest or a sense of scale.  The use of negative space (not negative people) is one that can bring an extra dimension to your images.  Negative space is the area around your main subject.  It can be a small area, or a very large area that overwhelms your subject making it appear small in contrast.  In layout and design, some may call this empty space, white space, or even “wasted” space, and always feel the need to fill it.

Photojournalist Robert Capa is attributed with the quote “If your photographs aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.”  By and large this is good advice, as I’ve also indicated previously that it’s important to fill your frame with what you find most interesting about who or what you’re photographing.  But there are also instances when the scene, space, or environment surrounding your subject can add to your composition in a way that filling your frame can not.  Even if that background space is empty.  

While getting in close allows you the photographer and the viewer to develop a relationship with the subjects, getting further away allows you and the viewer to experience the relationship between the subject and their surroundings.

And that doesn’t mean just zooming out and centering your point of interest in the middle of chaos (unless that’s the story you’re trying to tell).  It means positioning yourself and framing your subject in that negative space to emphasize or create that relationship with the environment to your advantage to tell a story.  Like a photographic love triangle. 

Here are a few more examples to get you started…

A few things to remember when experimenting with negative space.

• Make sure you're backgrounds don't distract from your subject
• Search out a background that may ADD to your composition
• Think about the story you intend to tell with your photo

And most importantly...

"Stay positive and happy. Work hard and don't give up hope. Be open to criticism and keep learning. Surround yourself with happy, warm and genuine people".
Tena Desae