Photograph Negative Space

Broken Shell in Sand

In photographic composition, the "positive" space is the subject and the "negative" space is the area surrounding the subject. You can think of the negative space as the background, but it is more important than that. That extra space carries visual weight itself and forces attention to the subject. In many cases the negative space is out of focus or a single color or texture, like the sand in this image. It's important to create a balance between the positive and negative space. Often this means making the subject (positive space) smaller in the frame. 

Practice composing with negative and positive space in my Photography Challenge online class that begins January 12, 2021. Click here to register.