Active space

One direction

Consider the direction of subjects in your scene and how close they are to the edge of the frame. By recomposing you can make the space around your focal point more eye-catching. Our boat (top right) is moving from left to right and is facing the largest portion of the overall scene. This is called active space. The viewer is drawn to the subject and then compelled to look across the image in its direction of travel.

In our other photo (bottom right) the boat is positioned at the opposite end of the frame. The portion of the image behind the subject is called dead space. This is less compelling because the viewer cannot see where the subject is travelling to and has little reason to dwell on the scene it has already passed. Even when composing for active space, don’t position your subject too close to the edge of the frame as this will unbalance the photograph.