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Texture & Negative Space

Lesson 103 from: Fundamentals of Photography

John Greengo

Texture & Negative Space

Lesson 103 from: Fundamentals of Photography

John Greengo

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Lesson Info

103. Texture & Negative Space

Summary (Generated from Transcript)

The lesson is about the concepts of texture and negative space in photography. The instructor discusses how texture can add depth and evoke emotions in a photograph, while negative space can provide context and emphasize the subject's size and location.

Q&A:

  1. What is texture in photography?

Texture in photography refers to the visual quality of the surface of an object or subject, and it can add depth and interest to a photograph.

  1. How can texture be conveyed in a photograph?

Texture can be conveyed through the use of lighting, composition, and focus. Capturing the details and patterns on the surface of the subject can help convey its texture.

  1. Why is texture important in photography?

Texture can evoke emotions and create a more immersive experience for the viewer. It adds a tactile quality to the photograph, making the subject more relatable and engaging.

  1. What is negative space in photography?

Negative space refers to the empty or unoccupied areas surrounding the main subject in a photograph. It provides context, emphasizes the subject's size and location, and can create a sense of balance in the composition.

  1. How can negative space be used effectively in photography?

Negative space can be used to enhance the focus on the main subject, create a sense of emptiness or solitude, or provide room for text or other design elements. It can also be used to show the subject in its environment and convey a sense of scale.

  1. Can negative space be used in different genres of photography?

Yes, negative space can be used in various genres of photography, such as landscape, portrait, and still life. The key is to understand how it can enhance the composition and convey the desired message or mood.

Lessons

Class Trailer
1

Class Introduction

23:32
2

Photographic Characteristics

06:46
3

Camera Types

03:03
4

Viewing System

22:09
5

Lens System

24:38
6

Shutter System

12:56
7

Shutter Speed Basics

10:16
8

Shutter Speed Effects

31:57
9

Camera & Lens Stabilization

11:06
10

Quiz: Shutter Speeds

07:55
11

Camera Settings Overview

16:12
12

Drive Mode & Buffer

04:24
13

Camera Settings - Details

10:21
14

Sensor Size: Basics

18:26
15

Sensor Sizes: Compared

24:52
16

The Sensor - Pixels

22:49
17

Sensor Size - ISO

26:59
18

Focal Length

11:36
19

Angle of View

31:29
20

Practicing Angle of View

04:59
21

Quiz: Focal Length

08:15
22

Fisheye Lens

12:32
23

Tilt & Shift Lens

20:37
24

Subject Zone

13:16
25

Lens Speed

09:03
26

Aperture

08:25
27

Depth of Field (DOF)

21:46
28

Quiz: Apertures

08:22
29

Lens Quality

07:06
30

Light Meter Basics

09:04
31

Histogram

11:48
32

Quiz: Histogram

09:07
33

Dynamic Range

07:25
34

Exposure Modes

35:15
35

Sunny 16 Rule

04:31
36

Exposure Bracketing

08:08
37

Exposure Values

20:01
38

Quiz: Exposure

20:44
39

Focusing Basics

13:08
40

Auto Focus (AF)

24:39
41

Focus Points

17:18
42

Focus Tracking

19:26
43

Focusing Q&A

06:40
44

Manual Focus

07:14
45

Digital Focus Assistance

07:35
46

Shutter Speeds & Depth of Field (DOF)

05:18
47

Quiz: Depth of Field

15:54
48

DOF Preview & Focusing Screens

04:55
49

Lens Sharpness

11:08
50

Camera Movement

11:29
51

Advanced Techniques

15:15
52

Quiz: Hyperfocal Distance

07:14
53

Auto Focus Calibration

05:15
54

Focus Stacking

07:58
55

Quiz: Focus Problems

18:54
56

Camera Accessories

32:41
57

Lens Accessories

29:24
58

Lens Adaptors & Cleaning

13:14
59

Macro

13:02
60

Flash & Lighting

04:47
61

Tripods

14:13
62

Cases

06:07
63

Being a Photographer

11:29
64

Natural Light: Direct Sunlight

28:37
65

Natural Light: Indirect Sunlight

15:57
66

Natural Light: Mixed

04:20
67

Twilight: Sunrise & Sunset Light

22:21
68

Cloud & Color Pop: Sunrise & Sunset Light

06:40
69

Silhouette & Starburst: Sunrise & Sunset Light

07:28
70

Golden Hour: Sunrise & Sunset Light

07:52
71

Quiz: Lighting

05:42
72

Light Management

10:46
73

Flash Fundamentals

12:06
74

Speedlights

04:12
75

Built-In & Add-On Flash

10:47
76

Off-Camera Flash

25:48
77

Off-Camera Flash For Portraits

15:36
78

Advanced Flash Techniques

08:22
79

Editing Assessments & Goals

08:57
80

Editing Set-Up

06:59
81

Importing Images

03:59
82

Organizing Your Images

32:41
83

Culling Images

13:57
84

Categories of Development

30:59
85

Adjusting Exposure

08:03
86

Remove Distractions

04:02
87

Cropping Your Images

09:53
88

Composition Basics

26:36
89

Point of View

28:56
90

Angle of View

14:35
91

Subject Placement

23:22
92

Framing Your Shot

07:27
93

Foreground & Background & Scale

03:51
94

Rule of Odds

05:00
95

Bad Composition

07:31
96

Multi-Shot Techniques

19:08
97

Pixel Shift, Time Lapse, Selective Cloning & Noise Reduction

12:24
98

Human Vision vs The Camera

23:32
99

Visual Perception

10:43
100

Quiz: Visual Balance

14:05
101

Visual Drama

16:45
102

Elements of Design

09:24
103

Texture & Negative Space

03:57
104

Black & White & Color

10:33
105

The Photographic Process

09:08
106

Working the Shot

25:29
107

What Makes a Great Photograph?

07:01

Lesson Info

Texture & Negative Space

Something else to look for is texture. And texture really is a pattern in many ways. It's something else though that we might have a little bit more awareness of what it feels like, is it hot, is it cold? We're gonna relate to that subject in a different way. Does anyone know what this is? Raise you hand, let's see if we can get? Okay, what do we have over here? Get your microphone. Elephant skin? That is correct. It's a close up of an elephant. An elephant got so close to me when I was on safari, my big lens didn't do much good, but I figured this is a good opportunity to get a nice close up of it. But I think it would make a nice backdrop on a desktop for a computer screen or something. It's nice, simple, clean background. And so, texture. The smoothness of those rocks is something that you can almost reach out and feel. It's aluminum siding. And that's sidelighting, all that detail in there, really makes you feel for what that might be like to walk on. Or feel with your own hand...

s. And when you can really identify with that subject on another level, just beyond the visual level, you start imagining what that would feel like, you're drawn a little bit more closely into understanding what that is like. I love these old walkways in some various small European countries, 'cause they're just so slick and smooth, I would hate to be there on a rainy day 'cause you just know how smooth they are. And you can tell at how slippery this is and how hard it must be to walk around on this and get photos because it's very, very slippery. One of my favorite textures is the fur on the baby King penguins, which are really the soft brown bears, they call them bears with beaks and flippers and when it gets wet the texture completely changes and so then you know it's just kind of that wet coat, wet cat feeling there. (audience laughing) Another concept to think about and this is the reverse of filling the frame. This is having some negative space around your subject to give it context in size and location and this is so for those times where you don't need to fill the frame with every bit of detail and maybe you need space for one reason or another, maybe you're gonna use it for a poster and you need to put text in there, or maybe you just want to show size and scale as I say of what else is around that subject. What's filling that space. And so it's okay to have a bunch of blue sky, from time to time in your photographs. I was up in northern Canada and we were canoeing down this river and there was just nothing, but I really felt like this was a good picture of nothingness. This is what it felt like just nothing around, everything was just very, very far away. And so showing your subject within their environment. This one of my favorite photos of cars in Cuba and it's unusual because generally cars don't have smooth clean paint jobs and I wanted to show as much of the smooth clean paint job that this really is all that very, very smooth. You know, giving the idea of that dark cloud just hanging above there a little bit. Giving space a little bit of direction for that chair, that curve of that chair, leaning forward. What it's like to be in the Mali desert, the Sahara desert here and there's just a lot of big open sky above you, big open expanse. And having that negative space there, helps you give a feel for that area. And this might be my favorite slide of the whole class, so we have a little bit of scale here but we don't have to get in close, we just like to have this person sometimes, little bit to show us where we are in this giant expanse of this beautiful place.

Class Materials

Bonus Materials with Purchase

Fundamentals of Photography Class Outline
Learning Projects Workbook
Camera Keynote PDF
Sensor Keynote PDF
Lens Keynote PDF
Exposure Keynote PDF
Focus Keynote PDF
Gadgets Keynote PDF
Lighting Keynote PDF
Editing Keynote PDF
Composition Keynote PDF
Photographic Vision Keynote PDF

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

Love love all John Greengo classes! Wish to have had him decades ago with this info, but no internet then!! John is the greatest photography teacher I have seen out there, and I watch a lot of Creative Live classes and folks on YouTube too. John is so detailed and there are a ton of ah ha moments for me and I know lots of others. I think I own 4 John Greengo classes so far and want to add this one and Travel Photography!! I just drop everything to watch John on Creative Live. I wish sometime soon he would teach a Lightroom class and his knowledge on photography post editing.!!! That would probably take a LOT OF TIME but I know John would explain it soooooo good, like he does all his Photography classes!! Thank you Creative Live for having such a wonderful instructor with John Greengo!! Make more classes John, for just love them and soak it up! There is soooo much to learn and sometimes just so overwhelming. Is there anyway you might do a Motivation class!!?? Like do this button for this day, and try this technique for a week, or post this subject for this week, etc. Motivation and inspiration, and playing around with what you teach, needed so much and would be so fun.!! Just saying??? Awaiting gadgets class now, while waiting for lunch break to be over. All the filters and gadgets, oh my. Thank you thank you for all you teach John, You are truly a wonderful wonderful instructor and I would highly recommend folks listening and buying your classes.

Eve
 

I don't think that adjectives like beautiful, fantastic or excellent can describe the course and classes with John Greengo well enough. I've just bought my first camera and I am a total amateur but I fell in love with photography while watching the classes with John. It is fun, clear, understandable, entertaining, informative and and and. He is not only a fabulous photographer but a great teacher as well. Easy to follow, clear explanations and fantastic visuals. The only disadvantage I can list here that he is sooooo good that keeps me from going out to shoot as I am just glued to the screen. :-) Don't miss it and well worth the money invested! Thank you John!

JUAN SOL
 

Dear John, thanks for this outstanding classes. You are not only a great photographer and instructor, but your classes are pleasant, they are not boring, with a good sense of humor, they go straight to the point and have a good time listening to you. Please, keep teaching what you like most, and I will continue to look for your classes. And thanks for using a plain English, that it's important for people who has another language as native language. Thanks again, Juan

Student Work

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