Photo tip # 5 - Negative space and symmetry

Some tips to better break all my previous rules!

In the previous articles of these photographic tricks, I notably spoke to you about the rule of thirds and follow the line between the foreground and the background. In the rule of thirds in particular, I mentioned splitting my screen into tic-tac-toe lines and resting my subject on one of those intersections. The horizon line is at the same time on one of these lines, either in the first or the second third, depending on whether the sky or the ground is the most interesting element.

But sometimes I'm looking for a different effect and I'm going to use what I call negative space instead.

Negative space

Normally in a photo, which does not add anything to the image harms it. That's why I sometimes use Photoshop to remove electrical wires that cross the sky for example. Or to blur things like small rocks or twigs of grass that might draw attention away from the main topic.

What I call negative space is an expanse of void in the photo, which has the function of making the subject smaller and thus increasing the impression that the latter is small or lost in a large space.

A young child in a dirty river in the Burmese countryside.

In video, it's a bit the same effect as starting close to the subject and slowly moving back and forth, thus revealing the immensity of a landscape.

In this type of photos, I often push back the rule of thirds, placing the horizon between 10% to 20% of my image rather than 30%. I thus accentuate the sky to give the impression of a greater expanse. This technique works especially well when the sky or background is a solid color and the subject is alone with no other frills.

The Argentine pampas, long and flat.

A mother and daughter waiting for a bus in the Kazakh desert.

The symmetry

Every photo is different. And each landscape or portrait requires different techniques to be used to achieve the desired result. It happens that I completely leave aside the rule of thirds and instead put my subject in the center. Normally, a subject in the middle of the center would give a rather poor result, with the person appearing to have been placed in front of a landscape rather than part of it.

But in some cases, the horizon is so symmetrical on both sides that precisely centering the image emphasizes this aesthetic element. This was particularly the case with this new highway, not yet open in Serbia, or this path surrounded by bamboo in Kyoto, Japan.

The joy of a new bitumen in Serbia.

Arashiyama Park on the edge of Kyoto in Japan.

This same symmetrical effect is even more visible in this disused water park near Hue in Vietnam (see my article about the place here). In this case, I put everything right in the center: the horizon, the main slide and the reflections on the water. The more exact the symmetry, the more precisely the camera will need to be placed. Sometimes a few even 1 or 2 centimeters to the left or right will make a difference in the result.

Finally, churches, which are naturally extremely symmetrical, are a great place to use this technique. Here too, precision in positioning the camera is essential.

Beauvais Cathedral.

Reims Cathedral.

All of these tips can be applied to any type of camera, including phones. Most of the time, a good photo doesn't require a professional camera, just thinking of a few things and knowing what you're looking to accomplish before you press the shutter button.

Good photos!