I’ve noticed that some people like negative space and create a minimalist lifestyle, and others like their surroundings busy (I won’t say cluttered.). I’m somewhere in the middle. My surroundings may be full, but it is neat and tidy. However, I’ve never thought about how the concept applied to how I take my photos.
Thank you Amy (The World Is A Book) for this weeks’ challenge. It helped me realize that I truly do not consider negative space when I shoot. Yes, I have skies that take up 2/3 of an image, birds in large pools of water, etc. But, these shots were never planned for negative space and its impact. I usually crop in close in camera. Even my landscapes are cropped in camera. Planning for negative space is something I should work on!
So, here are some of my inadvertent negative space images.
Thank you Amy!
Slow Shutter Speed 
Not knowing it’s name doesn’t mean you’ve not recognized it intuitively Anne. Beautiful examples
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Thanks Tina! And thanks for the reminder that composition can be intuitive. Sometimes intuition can use an alarm system. I want to practice setting up the opportunity, thinking about negative space. It’s all a learning process.
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Negative space is really important in painting! In watercolor, you start with light colors and work into dark. To outline or set apart a lighter area, the dark paint is applied around it. Sometimes to help with this, a frisket of a rubber cement like material can be applied, or tape, or contact paper. Paint is applied across it and the frisket acts as a resist. Then the resist is removed and the white space remains behind, or you can paint some color into a lighter area. Small areas need to be worked around as none of these methods, in my experience, allow for fine detail. Now, I have never thought about it in a photo . . . but like Tina said, you realized it intuitively. I think this is true – nice photos – and even though you don’t know the name of something, doesn’t mean you don’t know about it!
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Thanks -N! Thanks for the art lesson. I do appreciate it. I’m so glad I intuitively compose shots because I’ve never taken an art class or studied art. Through photography I’m learning about lighting in a piece. I hope to learn more. Each day in the field is a new experience. I’m just missing getting out there!
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Isn’t it great to be learning something new? For my B-Day, I am getting a geared tripod head, which I hope can handle my Pentax 6×7 camera – it weighs a ton. Righ now I have my tripods out and am reviewing them for what I want to move around headwise. With these heavier film cameras, I want to do some long exposures, so that is the reason for tripods and heads out. Making myself cuckoo!
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Hope you don’t mind my chiming in here – but N – you sure do know painting – and I enjoyed this comment
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Chiming in is always welcomed!
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🙂 thx
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Beautiful set of negative space photos, Anne. You have shown us how this works though you did not plan. The moon and the last image are my favorite.
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Thanks Amy! I’m glad you enjoyed the moon and thistle. I’m going to try planning for negative space, but I’m glad I can capture it with compositional vision. Great exercise.
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-N- Sounds like you’re having fun! Figuring out how to spend money is always a great way to beat the pandemic blues. I hope you get the tripod that will work best for you.
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I didn’t know about the concept of negative space. However, I liked your photos and looked upon them as being well composed.
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Thanks Kathy! Composition is one of my gifts. I compose a photograph intuitively. Now I want to do it purposefully.
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Hi Anne – I like the photos you found to highlight negative space and the layout was nice – I could see them all and the flower one was so large – could Almost feel that fuzz!
And regarding your thoughts about the way you intuitively captured extra negative space in some photos – it reminds me as to how we all find our signature style
Sometimes plan and think and get specifics – but always continue to let our eye lead us to what is called for that moment – and see what we capture and later break down any elements
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Wonderful set of images. Very impressive.
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Thank you Rupali!
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Wow, Anne. Gorgeous images. I especially love that “big sky” shot. Like you, I take a combination of “minimalist” and “more cluttered” shots. Your images are lovely.
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Thank you Patti! o I get excited when we have great skies since I still have to learn how to swap them out. I’ve been inspired by your post for #115 and can’t wait for the smoke to clear so I can purposely shoot some negative space photos.
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Wonderful, Anne. I’m still learning how to swap out the skies, too!!
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Gorgeous – I especially love the first one!
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Thanks M.B.! The river image is certainly moody! Overcast days are fun.
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