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01/10/2015 09:05:13 PM · #1 |
I am soo confused again .. do you see the deer in the headlight look from me yet?
Searching google for examples have only left my head scratching more details on what to expect, what is expected. Call me the newbie.
Explaination: Negative space is the area between and around objects in a photo. Use it to see shapes and sizes more effectively, and produce better composed images
Is it just the shapes that I am to be seeking out only?
Making something harder than what it is
The examples just look like normal photographs and the past challenges I have seen and looked up just look like normal photography to me at the moment, my eyes are not trained yet
What processes for this kind of shot is going to be the key to make it happen?
I noticed some macros, regular shots in that as well.
I guess I am seeking some Strategies for Using Negative Space and wanting to learn to train my eye to see something that I am usually not used to seeing and how to use it effectively in a photo.
Message edited by author 2015-01-10 21:49:10. |
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01/10/2015 09:58:42 PM · #2 |
This is Negative Space VII. There might be some inspiration for you in challenges I - VI.
Don't worry about not getting it. Negative space is a concept that's difficult to verbalize. There is negative space in almost every composition. The trick is to make negative space the obvious subject of your composition without taking the visual focus away from the thing that makes negative space interesting--namely your subject.
A parallel subject is Feng Shui, which is great fun to google also. In my mind at last, Negative Space is all about the feng shui of the composition. !!! hope that helped [laughing madly]
[eta] more crazy laughter!
[eta] now just helpless giggling...
see all the negative space
over there on the right?
The blue for Negative Space VI
You can't really photograph negative space. You can't photograph something that isn't there. That being said, I think this composition has a lot of negative space. It fills up the valley.
Message edited by author 2015-01-10 22:34:02. |
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01/10/2015 10:12:28 PM · #3 |
LOL!
Thank you so much, I actually understand and totally get the feng shui thing. Really like that explaination. I think it needs to be renamed the feng shui of photopgrahy... negative space.. whaaaa
Basically, it will be like breathing room in the photo then. SO subjects that are smack dab in the center and taking up full frame will be downed as DNMC
Message edited by author 2015-01-10 22:13:17. |
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01/10/2015 10:23:59 PM · #4 |
exactly
some nice negative space here
Message edited by author 2015-01-10 22:32:50. |
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01/10/2015 10:30:26 PM · #5 |
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01/10/2015 10:45:52 PM · #6 |
Yes, anything will help with examples thank you!
I will have fun with this challenge |
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01/11/2015 07:54:28 AM · #7 |
As a rule of thumb, when confused about the challenge topic or just want to get an idea, refer to the previous challenges on that same topic (if exist). When searching on the web for ideas, inspiration or visual explanation, it's better to use some of the photography social networking sites (500px, flickr...). You can also use DPC's own photo search (Photos -> Search in the menu-bar up top).
As said before, negative space is something very difficult to explain with words. Here are my examples of use of negative space in a photograph:
I could have easily zoomed in on the boots or cropped the empty space below, but i chose not to. The negative space below them, to me, enhances the impact of the subject.
Again, this could have been cropped in various ways. The negative space on the right, to me, balances out the exposed part of the subject's face.
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01/11/2015 09:10:15 AM · #8 |
There are definitely differences of opinion on what negative space is. I'm afraid my definition is a little more narrow (and I'll try to adjust).
I always thought of negative space as a resting place -- an empty place in the photo that doesn't draw your eye. So this example:
while there's definitely negative space around the girl that's quite interesting, doesn't really speak negative space to me. There's too much going on elsewhere in the photo. The negative space seems almost incidental instead of a purposeful, extremely effective tool.
This is one of my favorites:
simply because it was such a surprise. I never would have cropped it that extreme, but it adds to the cold, the loneliness, the isolation. The negative space makes the shot, imo.
I also like this one:
I think the lighting could have been better, but I like the shot.
So while I can't quite put it into words, the emptiness (since that's how I think of it) really needs to add to the photo, not just look like you forgot to crop. There needs to be a purpose to it, but the purpose is subtle. It doesn't bring attention to itself -- it brings attention to the subject.
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01/11/2015 10:00:17 AM · #9 |
| "Negative Space" was the official name of my cubicle back in my corporate life. Not sure this information helps. |
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01/11/2015 10:01:48 AM · #10 |
Originally posted by bohemka:
"Negative Space" was the official name of my cubicle back in my corporate life. Not sure this information helps. |
Not very much, nope :-) |
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01/11/2015 10:17:31 AM · #11 |
Originally posted by bohemka:
"Negative Space" was the official name of my cubicle back in my corporate life. Not sure this information helps. |
I thought it was the official name for the 6 inches between your ears. |
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01/11/2015 10:22:26 AM · #12 |
| I don't think many people know how to vote on negative space shots. I'm not sure I do either. To me the negative space IS the subject. In challenges like this people usually so a crazy crop to show lots of negative space it's usually done on purpose. |
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01/11/2015 10:52:36 AM · #13 |
Originally posted by nygold:
I don't think many people know how to vote on negative space shots. I'm not sure I do either. To me the negative space IS the subject. In challenges like this people usually so a crazy crop to show lots of negative space it's usually done on purpose. |
The negative space is not the subject, it surrounds it. The challenge description says "Use the surrounding space of your subject to create the wow of the photograph". The challenge is to use the negative space effectively and creatively in order to enhance the subject or the feel of the image. It's a challenge of compositional creativity.
Yes, most of the time this is done via crazy crops. And it is not necessarily a flat background. Just look at these two examples.
Examples taken from //www.hongkiat.com/blog/positive-effect-of-negative-spaces-in-photography/. |
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01/11/2015 10:57:24 AM · #14 |
IMO there are a number of examples in that blog that don't fit my idea of negative space. the portrait of the woman especially ( close up one ).
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01/11/2015 12:53:26 PM · #15 |
negative space as the subject
the smallest possible subject
they both scored low
Message edited by author 2015-01-11 12:54:18. |
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01/11/2015 03:51:23 PM · #16 |
honestly - neither of those images benefit from the composition.
the latter would be better served up with an off center subject. that maybe - was red or blue IMO.
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01/11/2015 08:37:16 PM · #17 |
I am going to have fun with this..
Light sources from that example I can see why it scored low, no subjects really.. I would not have thought that just spot light stuff would count as a negative space thing.
That link to that blog just confused me even more LOL
I did find a blog when I was trying to get examples and learn from it
Negative space
Not sure on if this helps or will make it worse for me LOL |
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01/11/2015 09:24:02 PM · #18 |
I'll add to this with MY understanding of "negative space".
It is that happy combination of having a proportionately small subject within a proportionately large surrounding space. The inclusion of so much surrounding space is to emphasize the subject in some way - it's isolation, it's importance, prominence, insignificance, etc. |
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01/11/2015 09:54:59 PM · #19 |
awesome explaination too, thanks for the time and helping me out with this everyone so appreciate it
I think I may have it!!
Anyone want to see what I took to see if it fits properly? I am going back and forth between two shots
Message edited by author 2015-01-11 21:57:07. |
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01/11/2015 10:14:16 PM · #20 |
I can take a look if you like.
Hoping for some decent weather the next couple days so I can go out and shoot something. |
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01/11/2015 10:21:13 PM · #21 |
| hahah that was how it was with me, we now have 2 more fresh inches of snow, with 30 degree weather and sun, I couldn't resist, Thanks Jon, will send |
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01/12/2015 01:43:35 PM · #22 |
Originally posted by tanguera:
I'll add to this with MY understanding of "negative space".
It is that happy combination of having a proportionately small subject within a proportionately large surrounding space. The inclusion of so much surrounding space is to emphasize the subject in some way - it's isolation, it's importance, prominence, insignificance, etc. |
That is indeed one very limited way of using negative space. jgirl's blog link does a better job of explaining what negative space really is. |
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01/12/2015 01:46:10 PM · #23 |
Look at Fig. 4 of the stool and his caption.
"The negative space is masked in black. See how the negative space exists as objects that define the stool. In fact you can draw the stool simply by drawing the negative spaces alone!" |
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01/12/2015 01:54:53 PM · #24 |
just looked at the examples in this thread and they are insufficient. Here are some photos that actually have vivid negative space. To use Lydia's criterion, "negative space" is one of the first things I would say about the image, which is definitely not true of previous examples:
 
actually, these are the only two examples I could find from past challenges where negative space is clearly used to create new shapes, and those shapes form the main interest of the photo.
If I used Lydia's criterion (I don't), I would be hard-pressed to find any photos that aren't DNMC. But I will vote high for any good photo, and most good photos do use negative space at least as a supporting player. |
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01/12/2015 02:54:47 PM · #25 |
Originally posted by posthumous:
Look at Fig. 4 of the stool and his caption.
"The negative space is masked in black. See how the negative space exists as objects that define the stool. In fact you can draw the stool simply by drawing the negative spaces alone!" |
Thanks Don this helps alot.
I think I'm starting to understand. |
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