If you have any experience in the field of art, you might be familiar with the term “negative space”. Negative space is all the space that surrounds the subject, and when taking pictures you can use it to help bring more attention to your subject.
When taking snapshots, most people compose their shot to simply have their subject in the middle of the frame. This is one way to focus on the subject, and sometimes I like to get in really, really close to my subjects so that they fill the ENTIRE frame (I’m a sucker for freckles and eyelashes). But why not try the opposite? Increasing negative space can also draw the eye to the subject.
To get the best use of your negative space, be sure it is clean and uncluttered (a big sky is one of my favorite uses of negative space). Also, play with the placement and size of your subject within the frame of your picture. Stepping back a little and utilizing negative space in your photography can really help enhance the mood of your portraits. When shooting children’s portraits, I tend to use the vastness of skies to illustrate how small and vulnerable are. If I have a session with a really dramatic sky one day, I like to showcase it.
Think about the mood you are trying to set or the story that you are trying to tell and try something new!
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