Negative space

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When is negative a good thing, you may ask? When it’s used in conjunction with the word “space” in photographic terms, that’s when. Typically, we want to see a photograph as a good reflection of what the eye sees. It’s what we expect in a good photograph, after all. But photography, like painting and drawing, is an art form that may deviate from mirror imaging. Isolating a subject against a plain background is a means of using negative space. As such, it is a powerful tool in the hands of an adept photographer or artist.

In essence, negative space in art can accomplish many things, but two aspects stand out. Firstly, it emboldens the subject. Distractions are removed and anything that could compete for prominence with the subject is eliminated. Secondly, and because of this, negative space creates an aura of tranquillity. Your mind can relax and focus on the magnificence of the subject, unhindered by clutter or extraneous elements demanding attention.

Creating art using negative space is easier said than done. Yup, take a subject and plop it down on the page and there you have it. Job done. NOT. You’ve got a blank canvas with a blob of subject on it. If your subject would look better surrounded by scenery or whatever else could or should be in the picture, you haven’t successfully achieved the negative space concept.

By definition, negative space is the empty space around the subject (or between subjects). In graphic design it is referred to as white space. But as you can see from the image above, negative space needn’t

be white. What’s important is that it enhances the image and promotes the subject(s).

In black and white images, a subject is normally depicted in black and the negative space is white – known as a high key image. Another artistic rule that needn’t be adhered to. Black negative space (low key) can be equally powerful, as seen alongside in this version of this image.

At the end of the day, art is always a matter of personal choice. In this case, I like what I see.