‘How do I take a better picture?’ It’s a question that almost everyone asks at one point or another, whether they are a pro snapping shots of a celebrity with a giant SLR (single lens reflex) camera or an average Joe with a point and shoot trying to snag a nice sunrise picture on his honeymoon in Hawaii. This series of blog posts will help to answer that question one puzzle piece at a time until (hopefully) your shots come out looking as good as you want them too. Today’s post will be on something called dynamic space.
I’m sure you’ve looked at pictures you’ve taken, gone ‘hmmm,’ and wondered why things seem to be so static. The whole scene just sits there, nothing special about it. It looks okay but that spark of life, the movement you saw with your eye, it isn’t in the photograph.
That is where something called dynamic space comes into play. Simply put it is the space where something is going or where someone is looking but nothing actually is. Artsy people who read artsy books might call it negative space. Without it the viewer’s eye cannot create the illusion of movement.
Let’s take a look at the picture at the start of this article again, this time without the dynamic space. Looks and feels different, doesn’t it?
Adding the space into where the boy could walk makes us feel like he is walking. The same concept goes for cars in motion, birds flying across the sky, people walking in the park, you get the idea. It doesn’t need to be a lot of space, just enough to give the impression that something is happening, like in this next photo. Just a little bit of space on the left side with a tight right crop makes us feel the tiger is walking across the image.
Dynamic space can also be used to put a spark of life into people or animals which aren’t moving.
It’s a type of picture that is common, one of someone looking off into the distance at something. The scene draws us in as we try and imagine what he/she sees or what they are thinking. I’m sure you can think of one or more ads that employ that trick. What brings it to life, in part, is the dynamic space.
Basically when it comes down to it you don’t want to put the main subject dead center unless it is for specific artistic reasons. It can be surprising how much the feel of a picture can change by shifting the shot just a little left or a little right. A scene which seemed lifeless and static can suddenly spring to life.
So, the next time your snapping off a few quick pictures with remember to add some dynamic space, you won’t be disappointed.
Got a question? Feel free to ask!
Related posts:
