" negative space" ?

[equipment junkie]

I have an upcoming photo club contest. The coming months assigned category is "negative space". I'm pretty sure this is a photographic term that I "should" be familiar
with...but I'm not! Can anyone shed some light on the photographic term and how it might relate to a photograph. Many thanks in advance.

[johnastovall]

Composition…A Primer on Positive and Negative space.
By Michael Fulks

[equipment junkie]

Thanks! Very informative...know I have an idea of what to START looking at!

[brad]

A couple examples from my archives...

[scott1120]

Originally Posted by equipment junkie

I have an upcoming photo club contest. The coming months assigned category is "negative space". I'm pretty sure this is a photographic term that I "should" be familiar
with...but I'm not! Can anyone shed some light on the photographic term and how it might relate to a photograph. Many thanks in advance.

Is this with NYIP Roundtable Part2?

[Duffy Pratt]

Here's another example.

Duffy

[HotHolly]

I LOVE neg space!!! The truest form of neg space is nothing. So the drama...

We have varying levels of neg space images on our site.

Here's a portrait as an example.

[scott1120]

Holly's example - that is what I see when I think of negative space.

[Wes]

Wow! Awesome pic, Holly!

[HotHolly]

thanks wes. i love neg space!

[brad]

Well, the truest definition of negative space is "everything that is not your main subject" ... as john's link describes.

Now USING negative space in an image... that's where you have your subject moving into (or away from) the negative space so that your eyes are drawn there... then back to the subject again. In Holly's example, the baby is staring into the negative space, so it has a similar effect.... you are left wondering "where is the bird going?" "what is the dog chasing?" "what is the baby looking at?"

[HotHolly]

This is also a very good, cut & dry definition of neg space.

Something to note from that definition:
The use of equal negative space, as a balance to positive space, in a composition is considered by many as good design. This basic and often overlooked principle of design makes a composition more appealing to the viewer without their knowledge of why because it gives their eye a "place to rest".