Transform Your Bird Photography: Harnessing the Power of Negative Space
The value of negative space in bird photography. Setting up the story.
Bill Harris
September 15, 2024
Note: This tip comes from page 3-7 in Tobie Schalkwyk’s free eBook - Bird Photography: Staying Sharp and Focused
Photograph by Getty Images / Unsplash The negative space in this photograph is a snowy, frozen lake and the woods on the distant shoreline. Negative space in bird photography can be used to firm up the story being told or improve the original composition.
Many photographers make the mistake that ‘negative space’ is empty space.
While that notion is often true. It is not absolute.
Tip #1 - Negative space is any space inside the composition frame that isn’t the subject.
Photograph by Madhu Manickam
Most of us seek to fill as many pixels as possible with our subject. The bigger the subject in the frame, the more it will grab attention.
However, negative space is also useful; it helps pull the observer’s eye into the picture.
Tip #2 -Sometimes, negative will attract more attention than simply filling your frame with the subject from corner to corner.
In addition, if you leave some extra space around your subject, you can improve your chances of getting the shot even if your subject moves erratically, as in the example photo above.
In this case, I was close to the subject, my settings were good, and everything was ok with the picture, except the leg at the bottom was cut out, and the negative space detracted instead of enhancing the photograph.
Photograph by Madhu Manickam – With a well-thought-out crop, the composition and negative space become cohesive and create a better picture.
Tip #3 – This tip can be applied to any subject that has legs. You never want to frame up a shot so that the subject’s legs are cut off at the ankles. From the knees and above- no problem. Otherwise include the entire leg and foot.
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