| OHCC LIVING | JANUARY 2022 | 29
Most of the time we are taking photos of people, critters, flowers,
etc., against a normal background. One technique which can be
employed to draw attention to your subject and away from the
background is the careful use of 'negative space.' The 'positive space'
is your subject, and negative space is everything around your subject.
If you choose carefully, you can emphasize the subject of the photo.
One example is the photo of a lone poppy flower against a
background of poppies that have lost their blooms. The one flower,
in the garden of a museum in southern France, calls to mind the
poppies that are grown to help remember those lost, particularly in
France, during the Great War. Another is the bust of Charles DeGaulle
against a stark white background, at the Army Museum in Paris.
Finally, the image of the Pine Portal bursting through the white wall
makes you almost feel the needles breaking through. None of these
photos would work without the negative space in the background.
If you widen your aperture for a shallow depth of field, you can
create your own non-distracting negative space. Or you can use
portrait mode on your camera if shooting auto or use portrait mode
on your smartphone.
The Photography Club is open to all residents of OHCC. We are
enthusiastic amateurs with a few people scattered in who really
know their stuff. We meet monthly in the Lamia room on the third
Thursday of the month, at 1 pm. Annual dues are $8.
Photography
