When you learn about the rules of composition, it can help to think of them in terms of how the composition will cause a viewer’s eyes to move throughout the scene.
In this video Ted talks about 2 concepts for visual composition, simplification and negative space.
Simplification is the reduction of elements in the composition to only what is necessary for the picture.
Negative space simply refers to the area that surrounds the main subject or subjects in your photograph. The technique of using negative space effectively is about creating the right relationship between the main subject and a background that almost feels like it is receding.
Positive space, on the other hand, refers to the primary subjects of a photograph. Positive and negative space can dance together in a variety of pleasing compositions to create the right effect.
Negative Space Psychology
The effect of negative space in photography is usually to create quiet images.
Even if there are objects in the negative space area, the size difference between the main subject and the surrounding area can often make the main subject feel more isolated.
This can add feelings of loneliness, solitude, relaxation, contemplation, or even importance. It depends on the subject matter of the photograph.
Sometimes getting closer will help you to fill the frame with an interesting pattern or area, while other times moving backward will help to make the subject smaller in the frame, which will ultimately help it stand out much more in relation to the negative space.
