The Positive Side of Negative Space in Underwater Photography

Through his years as skilled photographer and content material creator, Scuba Diver North America Editor Walt Stearns has supplied a whole lot of pictures utilized in a large spectrum of nationwide and worldwide publications and advert placements, and right here he reveals a few of his secrets and techniques round using adverse area in underwater images.

The Hidden Art Behind Simplicity

Thumbing by a favourite dive journal, you may’t assist however discover {that a} good variety of the function tales open with a two-page unfold that makes use of a single giant picture that’s overlaid with the function’s title and the story’s opening textual content.

Some examples of this embrace my function on Anthony’s Key Resort, the photograph column on Blackwater Photography from the earlier concern of this journal, and the opening to this photograph column, the place the picture of an oceanic whitetip shark swimming in blue water alongside a diver leaves ample impartial area to position title and textual content across the topic.

What do all these pictures have in frequent? They all go away various levels of impartial area to at least one facet or the opposite for dropping in title, headers and textual content. Art administrators love one of these composition as a result of it leaves the correct quantity of exploitable area.

While most of these pictures possible wouldn’t win in a photograph contest, it nonetheless is an artwork type that may be fairly useful whenever you get it proper. For instance, that lead photograph from the Anthony’s Key function was re-cropped and used as the difficulty’s cowl shot. Granted, it could not have been considered one of my private favourites, however the artwork director actually appreciated that it ‘fit the bill’ for what they wanted to do.

What Is Negative Space and Why It Matters

As prime demonstration to the interaction between Positive Space, Negative Space and Active Space, now we have a big oceanic whitetip shark as the first topic taking over Positive Space of the picture with a diver simply past it. Surrounding the 2, the picture accommodates loads of Negative Space to offer a state of presence to the place that is happening. To enrich the narrative additional, each topics are offset extra to at least one facet leaving further area in entrance of the shark.

This means, the viewer’s eyes are guided within the course the shark is touring thereby suggesting the picture is energetic.

Interplay Between Positive, Negative, and Active Space

If you analysis the subject of constructing energetic use of area in {a photograph}, you’ll run right into a litany of phrases that embrace Positive Space, Empty Space, Dead Space, Negative Space and Active Space. For all sensible functions, Empty Space and Dead Space are simply as they sound. Some texts denote empty area as white area, whereas useless area is actually unused empty area that does little to nothing to convey any of the photographs’ story-telling parts. In common, a big empty area with a uniform single-color background can go away a picture wanting unbalanced and unfinished, however there are additionally methods to use that area which we’ll get right into a bit later.

Some fast examples embrace the turtle picture talked about earlier than and the deep black background you get on a blackwater dive.

For artwork administrators, an upside of a uniform background is the benefit of cloning further peripheral areas to create applicable area for including textual content. Following Empty and Dead Space is Negative Space.

Unlike Empty and Dead Space, Negative Space has a extra integral perform in the way it pertains to Positive Space inside an image.

Positive Space — The Main Subject

Positive Space is the precise topic within the image. In this case, the massive inexperienced moray eel within the foreground is the very first thing the attention is drawn too – defining the picture’s area of Positive Space. From there your eye is drawn to the varsity of fish and the reef round and behind it. This area of the picture is known as Negative Space. The goal of Negative Space is to assist emphasize the subject material, drawing the attention first to the entrance occupied by the eel, then throughout the body whereas on the similar drawing the attention to the background; thus, the photograph presents a better sense of dimension.

However, with that photograph I admit that it sits on the edge of getting too little adverse area. If I had tightened the composition anymore, I’d have run the danger of getting it prove overly cluttered and busy with each component within the photograph screaming for the viewer’s consideration. The purpose for leaving a adequate quantity of Negative Space surrounding the topic is to offer respiration room in your eyes.

Negative Space — Creating Breathing Room

Now have a look at the child turtle swimming within the blue. Compared with the shot of the eel, the area reserved to indicate the water column across the turtle is bigger. Incorporating this a lot Negative Space is a minimalist tactic in images to coach your eye on the Positive Space that’s really the turtle throughout the body. But that’s not all. Those who perceive the Rule of Thirds will even see that the turtle’s place is extra in the direction of the decrease proper nook of the body leaving the remaining two thirds extra open.

In doing so, I’ve taken the ideas of ‘Negative Space’ just a few notches larger by intentionally arranging visible parts in such a means as to create the looks of movement to the turtle with a vacation spot in thoughts. In quick, I’ve created a area of ‘Active Space’ to offer better impression of the uncertainty of the tiny creature’s future because it begins its journey in a really large ocean.

Active Space — Guiding Motion and Storytelling

When coping with a topic that’s actively shifting or wanting/going through a particular course, ideally you wish to have area in entrance of the topic to assist set up a way of movement and/or anticipation. Without Active Space, your major topic could have much less impression to the story you wish to convey in your image.

Overcrowding

One of the more-common errors is overcrowding the body. Too many parts throughout the body can simply overwhelm the viewer to the purpose of weakening the impression of the picture. You don’t need the Negative Space to steal the present, however quite have it aesthetically improve the picture.

Backgrounds play a extremely necessary position in a picture. Often extra so than individuals give it credit score for. An excellent rule of thumb to attain the appropriate impact throughout composition is to permit for Negative Space to take up not less than 50% of the picture. At the identical time don’t ignore what’s going on within the background. A background that’s cluttered can distract, whereas an easier one provides depth and constructive area

As the adage goes, generally ‘less is more’ within the composition of a picture. Hopefully you’ve gained a greater understanding into the mechanics of Negative Space in addition to Active Space. By implementing into your individual photographic course of, you’ll develop a better mastery to each the Rule of Thirds and the Rule of Space.

Frequently Asked Questions