Shreya Negative space refers to the blank space around your main subject. It is a powerful composition technique which draws focus to the subject, reduces chaos in the frame and creates a mood about the photo. In this blog post, I have mentioned why negative space is an important tool to explore and experiment with and how to do so along with some example photos.
Why is negative space important?
Every time you snap a photo of your food, you have a chance to experiment with the composition, props, light and get creative. Negative space is on such composition technique and you can create so many different kinds of photos with it. It can have the following advantages :
- Draws the viewer’s attention to the main subject in the frame
- Creates drama with the contrast between the subject and background
- Creates a mood for the frame
- Reduces noise and chaos around the subject
How to create negative space in your photos?
- Start by activating the grid feature on your camera app. Then follow the rule of thirds i.e. Make sure your subject and props fill only 1/3rd of the frame. Here’s a quick guide to activate the grid on your iPhone camera.
2. Keep the frame simple and minimalistic. Don’t use too many props or elements that can fill up the frame. In the image below, I just used a gauge cloth and flowers to accentuate the color of the macarons and nothing else.
3. Choose a background that will make your subject pop up. In the image of the tacos below for instance, the tacos really come up against the dark background. For starters, using black, grey or white are a great choice.
4. Take zoomed out photos and crop as necessary. Take really big frames to start with and stop when you’re happy with how big the blank space is.
Concluding thoughts
To end with, I’d just like to say that train your eye, the more different types of compositions you see, the more you can try to recreate them and experiment with them. It’s all about how the photo makes you feel in the end. If you’re happy with it, go for it, if not, try to figure out what is missing, what could make it better. It’s a mix of technique and trial and error.
Happy food styling!
