I am part of a wonderful online photography group – 365 Picture Today. The group provides a photo prompt every day of the year. I joined to continue to refine my photography skills and found a wonderful and inspirational group of photographers.
Yesterday, the prompt was focused on negative space. Photographers use this technique to encourage the viewer to focus not only on the subject, but also on the vast empty space around the subject.
My Story – How Negative Space Applies to Our Lives
I decided to take this photo on a walk yesterday. We live a bit outside the city and there are some fields that I pass on my walk. This seemed like the perfect way to capture my photo of the day.
Soon I discovered that this “easy” photo would not be so easy.
The environment was FULL of clutter. I would find the perfect tree or bush and the background was full of other things – more trees, houses, tall grasses, fences, and more. I started to think how this was a metaphor for our lives.
We have our “subject” defined at any given moment. This may be a project we are working on, some quality time with family, or lunch with a friend. However, there is so much noise in the background that it’s sometimes hard for the subject to stand out.
What if we started looking for and actively designing negative space in our life. How could we reduce the background clutter to make both the negative space and the subject stand out? What more could we accomplish if the clutter were removed from each situation?
Your Turn
Have you ever considered negative space in your life?
When you look at the photo in this post, what do you think of?
How might the negative space of the sky inspire you to make a change?