Famtography Tip #40: Negative Space

A little negativity can be a good thing.

Here's another pro photography tip: use negative space to highlight your subject. It may seem counterintuitive, but extra negative space in your photos can actually help draw the eye and focus towards the subject in the picture.

There are a few rules of thumb to help make a positive impact with negative space:

Background Tips & Posing

Try to ensure that backgrounds aren't overly cluttered. They don't need to be blank, flat, or all one color! But larger patches of uniform color are best. Having your subject face the negative space can further help draw the focus to them.

Using the Rule of Thirds

Remember this rule from Tip #13? It's a great way to help position your subject around negative space to ensure the composition of your photo is top-notch.