Lesson 4 Negative Space

[Rachel Smith]

This photo was taken in Madison Georgia from an old farm house.
Camera-Cannon AE1 Program
Film Speed-400
ISO Set at-450
f stop-f11
Shutter Speed-500

[photoschool]

Again, excellent photograph. Your photographic eye is well trained! Great job. Again, your tonal range and color is choice helps add a dramatic element to the photograph and the lighting in the photograph has helped amplify the texture in the photograph.

However, I do have a couple of recommendations for this photograph. First, I fell it’s too balanced. Your primary element (the nail) is dead center. Similarly, you’ve managed to balance the different wood objects in the shot and your “horizon” of wood is also dead center. I would like to see you try to incorporate the rule of thirds into your work.

Lastly, negative space photographs usually have visually uninteresting or simple “negative space”. For example, imagine a sunflower against a clear blue sky or imagine a insect on a white piece of paper. Your photograph on the other hand, has interesting elements to look at in every inch. Negative space photographs are usually oversimplified to help draw the viewers attention to the main object. This is not the case in your photograph. So while it is a great photograph, it’s not “technically” right.

Keep up the creative work!