Shutter Sisters

Making space

By

1. l i g h t h o u s e., 2. 334 :: 365, 3. Magnitude, 4. DSC_4769, 5. in my rear view, 6. 1/52

From the Shutter Sisters book:

Negative space: “The space around and between the subject(s) of an image. The use of negative space, as a balance to the subject(s), gives the viewer’s eye a place to rest and is an important element to the overall composition of an image.”

It also creates stunning, powerful images like the ones shown above from the Shutter Sisters Flickr pool.

When we shift focus, mindfully crafting the composition of our shots, we are given the opportunity to find a new harmony, and to fully reinvent them. Today slow down and pay more attention to the space and energy around your subjects. You might be surprised.

Comments

  4. These are six of the most interesting photos ever! I was captivated by all of them, and the collage is entriguing. It's also 5 am, and I'm up eyein' blogs… 😉
    …great post.

  18. While skimming through my Flickr photostream, I realized I usually try to fill the whole frame and I don't play much with negative space. It's such a beautiful and uncomplicated way to balance a photo and draw the eye to the subject. Thanks for the reminder! I'm definitely going to incorporate it into more of my work. This is the closest my photos come to negative space: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephaniecourt/4816357401/

  20. hmm wow, this seems like such a simple thing to learn, and yet, I think negative space is not as simple as it may look. Negative space, for it to be effective and to add something to the photograph, needs to be just right.

    Plus, I am just still so stuck in taking pictures that are perfectly centered. I need to work on that.

    Here's one of my daughter on the merry-go-round at the park: http://www.flickr.com/photos/texanmama/5332358892/

  38. love how you do this with your photography, irene. it feels expansive. my hearts opens, breathing in your images. inspired to try capturing the space and energy around the moment. thank you.

  40. I also love negative space, and I am eager to wind my way through all the links here. I am eager to experiment with brighter shots, lighter shots, more like the sample grid you shared here – not blown-out necessarily, but on the light end of the colour spectrum. That would be more of a stretch for me. Here are some of my favourites for the theme:

    http://scatterbeams.aminus3.com/image/2010-10-09.html
    http://scatterbeams.aminus3.com/image/2009-09-09.html
    http://scatterbeams.aminus3.com/image/2009-04-30.html
    http://scatterbeams.aminus3.com/image/2009-10-22.html
    http://scatterbeams.aminus3.com/image/2009-03-23.html