Whenever there’s the perception of movement in a scene that goes in a specific direction, you, as a photographer, need to encourage that movement. You need to give the subject of the photo space to breathe. To need to lead the viewer’s eyes in the direction in which the subject is moving. There’s a term for this technique. It’s called lead room or nose room. It’s basically when you put ample space before your subject, whether is be a car driving down the road, an airplane flying in the sky, or a person walking on a sidewalk. This space leads the viewer’s eye towards the possibilities of the subject. Where they might end up and where they’re heading. Without this space, the viewer of the photograph may feel cramped and the entire image will suffer. I’ll give you some examples down below.
Take a look at this compositional technique. Here are some example photos.
Do you see how there’s room before the car, biker, and motorcycler? This space gives the impression of progression. There’s only so much you can do in a photograph, but if you can provoke thought in the viewer’s mind, you’ve done your job well.
Take a look at these next two images. Notice how the first one makes you feel and then notice how the second one does. This is for all of those people who don’t think this technique is worth it.
Completely different photos, right? The first one feels natural while the second leaves you feeling boxed in. As if the person walking in the scene is heading towards a wall. It’s just not right.
This is a compositional challenge. Don’t concern yourself so much with camera settings and the like. Focus more on what you’re taking a photo of and why. Set your goal in your mind and then achieve it.
When you complete this challenge, be sure to link to your images here for review and critique. Include your specs as well, such as your camera make and model, lens used, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings. Include your distance from or scale of your scene as well. We want to know it all so we can get a grasp of what went on while you were shooting and how you managed to take your photos. Good luck.
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