Photo Boost | Day Two | Positive Negatives

Day Two | Positives in the negative

Today it’s time to look at another compositional tool (hey composition is important) that might seem at first to be in contrast to day one.  I want you to embrace space in your photo and consider not always putting your subject in the middle.  Make use of what photographers and artists call “negative space”.  I love using negative space in my photography.  It’s a tool that adds real interest to your images and helps them stand out in the crowd.

 

Negative space is, quite simply, the space that surrounds a subject in an image. It’s as important as the subject itself and helps to bring balance to a composition.  It can sometimes be a little tricky to get right, so the key here is to practice and experiment until you get the right feel.  Don’t be afraid to get in wrong, the old adage practice makes perfect has stood the test of time for good reason.

The good old “rule of thirds” has also stood the test of time and can help you with working out where to place your subject in the frame when you first start experimenting with negative space.  You’ve probably even seen this grid on your phone or camera before, the idea is that you place the subject roughly on the area where the lines intersect.  And just like that your image has better balance and you look like a creative superstar!

My favourite portraits combine filling the frame & using negative space

Hot Tips

When photographing people, I like to get the eye roughly near the intersection point as the eye is the main focus of the image. If your subject is leaning or facing in a certain direction, have them lean or face into the negative space image rather than out of the photo.

Try putting the grid up if your phone or camera lets you, or just feel your way through.

Inspiration

This works great for portraits, simple landscapes, photo’s of your food or morning coffee. Flowers, vases, anything that can be isolated or photographed with a lovely simple background.

The Challenge

Choose yourself a subject (we’ve given you loads of ideas again in the inspiration section), and take a photo or two, experiment with the rule of thirds, or even break out and go your own way.  See what catches your eye.  Don’t forget to upload your photo to instagram and tag #photmojophotoboost #myphotomojo #MPMdaytwo