white space

One of the main things I look for on any photo shoot is simplicity. Too many elements turn anything into a mess. Whether it's a painting, a photograph, or an outfit, it's definitely possible to have too much of a good thing. I remember learning about white space years ago in an art class. It always seemed to make the difference between designs that worked, and ones that flopped. One design looked planned, and well-thought-out. While, another one looked cluttered and confusing, with no real point.

I think life is the same way. We can spend our days accumulating props, without having a purpose or design. After a while, it's like including too many fonts on a page. Each one might be beautiful. But without a plan, even your favorite elements lose appeal. I bet if we could see life in the tangible way that we see a photograph, it would be more clear. What's working. What's not. What needs to be cropped. Minimized. Maximized. Altered. Most of all, I bet we'd see how important the White Space is.

Any thoughts about the White Space in your life or photographs?

Comments

[laura plouzek]

beautiful photograph! I love everyone's expressions.

I love white space. It's important to always allow room for growth in everything that you do. White spaces are inspiring to me.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/smilinglaura/532249335/in/set-72157594455845702/

happy wednesday everyone!

[robiewankenobie]

wow. i really really love that photo.

[Milla]

Beautiful picture! I would love to have a candid like this of my family.

I love your thoughts on white space, too! Here's one I took recently with some white (actually blue) space.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24453165@N04/2328931796/

Thanks for your wonderful site...

[maya]

I like the simplicity of white space. It's calming.

http://springtreeroad.typepad.com/springtreeroad/2008/03/catch.html

[Shelli]

I love white space too. That's a fabulous photograph.

Though not white, exactly, here are some photos in which I was experimenting with space:

http://www.mamaofletters.com/Mama_of_Letters/Camera_Happy.html#4
http://www.mamaofletters.com/Mama_of_Letters/Camera_Happy.html#5

[kristin]

played with a shot of mine. i like the white space as well.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/2329073742/?eOrig=2323262097

[natala]

I love when I can use empty space, it makes the subject seem to really shine, and not take anything away from the moment.

http://atheart.wordpress.com/2008/02/24/mom-son/

[camerashymomma]

i love this concept and i just started toying with it, i attempted this shot in black and white while at the beach, it was such a flat day that it really worked well and looked kinda like a paper cutout.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/camerashymomma/2261614584/

[carrie]

I love that picture... very interesting. The family being so cute doesn't hurt either!

[JennB3]

I love your photo. I'm starting to appreciate the simplicity of photos who show space. It's calming.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23134155@N07/2329157972/

[Maya]

I am in love with white space! I don't think I do it enough in my photography...I'll have to work on that.

I love the correlation you made with white space in life. I think that's so important to include in our lives yet it seems the most difficult to do.

[Christina]

I find myself pulled more and more towards simplicity and white space. It really give the subject more breathing room and lets it sing.

One I just took yesterday:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cnewell/2327568154/

And another that's all about the empty space
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cnewell/2267778900/

[cotterpin]

Not nearly as beautifully done as the picture above- my own version of trying to use "natural" white space to accent the focal point...

http://cotterpinhouse.wordpress.com/2007/12/11/avalanche-of-savings/

[Beyond Megapixels]

I'm always a sucker for white space. Great family portrait! :) - Lisa

[Marcie]

I think it's the positive/negative effect that happens when there is a good balance of white.
I like to use white space to fill the frame.
http://marciescudder.blogspot.com/2007/12/white-album.html
http://marciescudder.blogspot.com/2008/02/hop-skip-jump.html
Or - in this particular image - there is no white space..it's all one.
http://marciescudder.blogspot.com/2008/03/eye-spy-winter-swan-series.html

[FireMom]

I don't shoot in B&W often, so "white" space isn't in my mind at all times but negative space is. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't!

Great post.

[AllisonK]

This is such a great post about both photography and life.

[cherryfizzy]

Her dad caught this one...and the reason I love it so is all the gray and then there's the surprise of that bubble of pink. hooray for negative space! It forces us to focus...

Great shot maile! hilarious capture.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cherryfizzy/2249246905/

[Lawyer Mama]

That portrait is just gorgeous!

I love white space and even the term is nice and simple. It sounds so much better than negative space. I also love that white space doesn't have to be "white." If only my personal life white space came as naturally as the photographic white space seems to!

http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2316908548/in/set-72157603643073069/

http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2295774853/in/set-72157603638375698/

http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2248212690/in/set-72157603638375698/

[Sheri]

in photos, i adore all space: red space, blue space, green space, white space, cloudy space, wall space, table space. i just love a little space!

a few of my own spacey ones as of late:

http://flickr.com/photos/storygoil/2324510407/
http://flickr.com/photos/storygoil/2325332040/
http://flickr.com/photos/storygoil/2278410263/

[Jen]

Yes, I love this idea as well. And the photo is awesome. It's those unexpected kind of things that make great photos.

[tracey]

i love creating images with lots of empty negative space. the shot you posted is divine and very resfreshing.
funny, i never really made the connection between these qualities in a photo and the same ones in life but GIRL! you are onto something here. i love it. here's to looking at the wide open spaces of life and loving how they make me feel. thanks, i needed that today!
PS. that little girl's expression is priceless! it makes me happy just looking at her!

[Jen]

Over the last year I've gone through a personal transformation when it comes to white space. I've realized what is important in my life and what is not. I've certainly gotten rid of a lot of noise to make room for what's important! I don't have a picture to capture that feeling right now, but one day I will. :)

[O]

Beautiful photo! I too love the clean, simple look of white space. White space in a room or photo or layout is always good. I need more white space in my home, especially in my office. I began cleaning it out and things...life...came up and I have everything scattered, waiting to be thrown or be put away. Love white space. :)

[Lys]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lysrian/2251235436/

It's hard for me to use white space effectively, here is one of my older shots that I tried using white space.

You use white space very well.

[steph]

In photography, I'm many times so busy trying to adjust the manual settings fast enough to capture the moment. But when the pictures are all taken, it's nice to work digitally, where I can crop at will. I agree, I don't enjoy the photos I take that are all full of too many things going on. ...unless it was that particular element, overstimulation, which drove me to shoot so much detail in the first place.

Your photo above is so charming, it belongs somewhere important, as a very large print.

I'm going to shoot a set today, focusing on more calm white space. I NEED me some calm today :)
For now, here's:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssicore/1359024334/in/set-72157601959804345/

[steph]

ps--I like this one, too:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssicore/1025800458/in/set-72157601246018064/

[happy girl lucky]

Love the photograph! Thanks for the encouragement to use more white space!

Thanks also for the nomination of my princess on the beach photo!

Happy Girl Lucky/Ash Mash

[Jennifer]

What a wonderful family photo! The white space forces me to look at their faces, which is what a family photo should be right?

White space is less complicated in photographs and in life. I find it appealing in both places.

Great post, it really got me thinking.

And here is my example of white space:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/veridianblue/2328253623/

[simply]

http://simplytaken.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/bay2.jpg

I love your white space photo...I love the way white space fades out on it's own...

beautiful

~simply~

[liz]

i love this too - how natural it is

i'm so new to photography and just love what can happen so unexpectedly - not even sure how this worked out but i like it

http://flickr.com/photos/21898841@N08/2330077828/?eOrig=2309648482

[Julia]

This made me laugh when I saw it!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3283/2329475437_95d6bec1ee.jpg

[melody]

Wonderful analogy. I am searching desperately for the white space in life...physically and mentally. I think I'm on a path.

Fabulous family portrait.

[Angella]

What a great photo!

I took a photo with a lot of white space a few weeks ago and it is one of my favourites.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ourcrazylife/2280171769/

[leah]

What a beautiful to think about life. White space in photos and design I am familiar with, but even with my (less-than-successful) quest to simplify things in my life, I've never thought of it as giving myself more white space. I love the idea! (It just seems so much more positive than de-cluttering.)

[tommie]

Thr first one is one I have taken recently using white (blue as in the sky) space.....love these posts, I continue to learn daily!

ps: the other shots are ones my 4 year old has taken....he got his first point and shoot recently.

[Tanya]

I definitely need to put more white space into my life. Thank you for this post and the encouragement.

As for a picture to share, I wanted to show off a pair of onion goggles that one of my friends gave me for Christmas. I created my own white backdrop out of two pieces of printer paper: one on the table and one propped up by the salt and pepper shakers.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tanyamills/2264662174/

[toyfoto]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/50188553/

[littlepurplecow]

I love this image and your perspective of the family. I often find myself tweaking the contrast to gain more white space.

[Riana]

I took this the other day to signify that spring has come. A clean palate to start with. The white pops the birds yellow breasts and gives them identity.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/81951381@N00/2331571226/

[Julie]

Here's mine, I finally go posted!
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Juliestew/501618/
Julie

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