July’s theme / technique: Being Creative with Space
The six visual keys to a great photograph are:
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- Patterns
- Texture
- Lines
- Light
- Depth of field
- Space
Being Creative with space. Space is a difficult one to explain in photography. When is it too much? When is it not enough? Generally speaking it refers to the empty or negative space around your subject. Usually sky or water or some bland background.
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- If the subject is looking away from the camera leave space for your subject to look into – this creates a sense of mystery.
- The same applies in an active shot where an animal or a bird or a person is moving. This requires space to move into whether running, jumping, walking or flying. Leaving empty space creates a more dynamic scene.
- Empty space can create an air of mystery. A story.
- Create three dimensional space by shooting for a broad range of tones, from bright highlights to dark shadows, and varying shades in between.
This month's final assignment - try creating a 3D image. Take care to include elements in your foreground and background that work together to separate those two parts of the scene; ideally, you want the largest-appearing objects in the foreground and the smaller ones in the background..
Sculptures at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra

This is an image I took several years ago, but I still love the perspective from which I composed the shot. The pears in the background are large pieces, but from this angle the ball seems much larger. I’m not sure this meets the assignment I set though.
[The earthen ceramics of Thainakuith artist and master ceramist Thanakupi (Gloria Fletcher) grace the collections of many state and national galleries and museums in Australia. Informed by an intimate knowledge of Thainakuith law and culture, Thanakupi’s ceramics reflected the complex narratives of her ancestors. Animals such as kangaroos, emus and fish consume the surfaces of her ceramic vessels and the spaces between are filled with the rhythm and energy of flowing vines. Source: National Gallery of Australia
Pear—version number 2 by George Baldessin, placed like ripe fallen fruit in the forecourt of the National Gallery of Australia, displays the artist’s abiding interest in the theatrical potential of art. Source: National Gallery of Australia]
If you would like to join in with the 2020 photo challenge then please take a look at my 2020 Photo Challenge page. No complicated rules, just a camera required 🙂
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- Create your own post with some information about how you composed the shot.
- Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
- Add the tag #2020PhotoChallenge so everyone can find your entry easily in the WP Reader
- Get your post(s) in by the end of the week, as the new theme begins next Sunday about Colour Theory.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this month’s creative challenges. As always please visit the links in the comment area.
Here’s mine, Jude. I took a walk round Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal purely with your challenge in mind. Hard to know I’ve I’ve nailed it, but I tried … https://margaret21.wordpress.com/2020/07/27/a-solid-perspective-on-the-past/