Why don't my shots ever turn out how I picture them in my head?
My "Get Pushed" challenge for this week, from @jehill1159 is to take a photo using negative space. As I understand it, negative space is simply the space around the subject of the photo. I was pretty stuck on ideas for this challenge until @janim suggested that I look at the challenge from a psychological stand point. Psychology I get, photographical technicalities, not so much. Kind of like how Dr. Zack Addy understand Schrodinger's Cat, but not cakes or pickles (Bones reference anyone?)
Anyways, my general idea that I had for the photo is here, I just didn't work out the technicalities properly. First of all, my arms are MUCH to short to get my arm in the photo properly. Secondly, my tripod was worthless in this instance. Lastly, I couldn't get a tight enough frame, so I'm unhappy with the background.
So.......negative space surrounding the bottle, negative space between the bottle and the hand, and negative psychological space. How'd I do?
@mej2011 I think it's a pretty neat picture for lots of reasons. I actually like the motion in your hand - looks like you really want that bottle of wine! Maybe after all the time you were putting in to getting the shot you had in mind, you really DID need that! I also like the darkness of the surface and the bottle against it. The lighting in the background and off the bottle caught my eye. I entered "negative space" again in a google search to get some examples. Try this site - look at the way the are all pretty simple. http://pixelcurse.com/photography/35-great-examples-of-using-negative-space-in-photography I know you can do it! Actually looking back at some of your other posts - the one with the jewelry would be another example of negative space.
When I do negative space, or think about it, I'm in the camp that says it's not just about having a lot of empty space, it's about the shape of the empty space that's defined by your subjects. That site mentioned above is my favorite so far, and it has nice examples of both "camps."
I think if you cropped this photo differently it could emphasize the space between bottle and hand and qualify, to me, as a negative space shot. Imagine a 1:1 crop (a square) but turned 45 degrees to a diamond shaped crop. The top of the diamond is the spout of the bottle, the bottom of the diamond is your hand. So we're losing a lot of the bottle and we just have the hand, table and spout. I like the motion-blur you put in, but that may distract form the negative space, I think if you could darken the table to black or almost black it would work best--for my eye! Don't know about anybody else's. :)
@anwan
The table actually is black, though distressed. My editing may have altered the coloring. The motion blur was used more to make the background less noticeable. I'll have to look through the website again to try and grasp what you're saying about the cropping. Just reading it is a bunch of gibberish to me(as I said, I don't get technical photography stuff), but if I could SEE what you're saying, I'm more apt to understand. Perhaps you could provide a specific example on that site?
Well, something like the building photos, where the shape of the space in between the buildings is important and is the negative space part of the shot.
If you want, I could copy your image and crop it to show you what I mean? I realize it's hard to get directions written out that way, I'm not necessarily good at that.
@anwan
Thanks for all the feedback! If you wouldn't mind, it would be great if you could crop the photo as an example. However, I will look over the building photos on the website as well.
@anwan
Oh wow! I would have NEVER thought to do that on my own. Thanks so much! Hmmmmmmm. Tomorrow I'll have to re-shoot and figure out which of my editing programs can do something similar. Thanks again!
Remember, this is just what _I_ think looks like negative space :) But I hope it helped.
I used Irfanview to do the crop and angle change. It's a free program. (I also installed the plugins, which are needed for certain things, but I don't know if you need them for just this.) I rotated your photo, cropped, then rotated again to the angle I wanted.
Although I wouldn't specifically think of this as a typical "negative space" shot (photographically speaking) - I do really like what you've done here, and again, I like where your mind took this. You think outside the photographic box, and I love it.
@westcoastwallis
Thanks! You'll really have to thank @janim for this, he put it in my head to think "psychologically" for this challenge. I would have probably just photographed the bottle at the end of the table otherwise. lol.
@anwan
It helped me understand what could be meant by negative space, and what my challenger is looking for. I think, though, if I am going to use that type of edit, I will change my subject.
I think there's is a story to this image, blur adds a lot to the vibe too. I agree that the negative space -feeling would be heightened by having just the hand & the bottle on a dark background. Love the idea you got for the shot!!
@janim
Thanks for the feedback! I'm still not understanding- or not sold on the negative space thing. At least not for this subject. I'm trying a different subject today.
(Had to come back for the Bones reference - got it, even though I've now missed several seasons, which makes me unhappy.) I think you've already got some really good feedback on this shot, so I won't repeat all that. For me negative space usually represents itself as "breathing space" or "air" around the subject in question. Which tends to then lead me to minimalism, which is not the only way of working with negative space. Anyway, I like your idea and the way you thought about your challenge. Jani may have given you an idea, but you made it happen.
@joa
I've been really disappointed about this season of Bones. Sadly, I've been wishing that it hadn't gotten renewed for a 9th season.
My understanding of negative space was in line with the way you define it. I realize that I didn't accomplish it necessarily here, but once you (not you specifically) start talking about the shape of the "breathing space" I get lost.
@mej2011 I'm guessing you shouldn't overthink it, once you get comfortable with the concept in the first place, you'll be able to pay attention to the shapes and such.
@mej2011 Oh, I hear you. I do the same. All the time. Although perhaps less when it comes to photography and more when it comes to trying to understand men. :D
My first attempt at your challenge.......
I think if you cropped this photo differently it could emphasize the space between bottle and hand and qualify, to me, as a negative space shot. Imagine a 1:1 crop (a square) but turned 45 degrees to a diamond shaped crop. The top of the diamond is the spout of the bottle, the bottom of the diamond is your hand. So we're losing a lot of the bottle and we just have the hand, table and spout. I like the motion-blur you put in, but that may distract form the negative space, I think if you could darken the table to black or almost black it would work best--for my eye! Don't know about anybody else's. :)
The table actually is black, though distressed. My editing may have altered the coloring. The motion blur was used more to make the background less noticeable. I'll have to look through the website again to try and grasp what you're saying about the cropping. Just reading it is a bunch of gibberish to me(as I said, I don't get technical photography stuff), but if I could SEE what you're saying, I'm more apt to understand. Perhaps you could provide a specific example on that site?
If you want, I could copy your image and crop it to show you what I mean? I realize it's hard to get directions written out that way, I'm not necessarily good at that.
Thanks for all the feedback! If you wouldn't mind, it would be great if you could crop the photo as an example. However, I will look over the building photos on the website as well.
Oh wow! I would have NEVER thought to do that on my own. Thanks so much! Hmmmmmmm. Tomorrow I'll have to re-shoot and figure out which of my editing programs can do something similar. Thanks again!
I think I understand a bit better what you're looking for. I will attempt again tomorrow.
I used Irfanview to do the crop and angle change. It's a free program. (I also installed the plugins, which are needed for certain things, but I don't know if you need them for just this.) I rotated your photo, cropped, then rotated again to the angle I wanted.
Thanks! You'll really have to thank @janim for this, he put it in my head to think "psychologically" for this challenge. I would have probably just photographed the bottle at the end of the table otherwise. lol.
It helped me understand what could be meant by negative space, and what my challenger is looking for. I think, though, if I am going to use that type of edit, I will change my subject.
Thanks for the feedback! I'm still not understanding- or not sold on the negative space thing. At least not for this subject. I'm trying a different subject today.
Thanks! I guess I'm just confused about....yeah, I don't know anymore. lol
I've been really disappointed about this season of Bones. Sadly, I've been wishing that it hadn't gotten renewed for a 9th season.
My understanding of negative space was in line with the way you define it. I realize that I didn't accomplish it necessarily here, but once you (not you specifically) start talking about the shape of the "breathing space" I get lost.
You're right. Sadly I over think pretty much everything.
Ha ha ha! That's impossible to understand. :)