Separation is a powerful tool that we can use in compositions and does much more than prevent objects from touching each other.
One of the earliest photography lessons I learned as a young boy was when I saw a photograph of a lamp post growing out of the top of someone’s head. Then there was a picture of my brother lying down with what appeared to be a giant pair of boots pointed at the camera; it had a wide-angle lens that magnified his seemingly giant legs that seemed detached from his body.
With photography, we often try to create order in a chaotic world. I have written before about minimalism, and such simplicity often works well, and there are many other methods we can use to bring a scene to its bones. Separation is one of those compositional tools often overlooked by photographers.
I should start by saying that this is not a mandatory rule in photography. It is not something that we have to strictly adhere to in order to make our composition good. But, like all so-called rules, it is a technique we can use as it can produce a satisfying effect on the viewer.
Sometimes a photo can be ruined by two items being shipped. Usually, you should move your position or wait for the right moment for the objects to be skewed. Therefore, the best landscape photographers will always survey the location, considering how to frame a photo before positioning their camera. This process involves separating objects, so they don’t collide with each other in the image. Street photographers have also found that space between people can produce more pleasing results than if one was partially obscured by the other.
However, it is not only possible to position separate objects within a frame. Using different textures is another method to add separation. Usually, we’re looking for coarse texture before a smooth texture, achieved with a shallow depth of field, or when using a simple background. Similarly, having a repeating pattern in the background broken by the foreground subject can also make an extra difference.
Changes in tone can also create separation, such as the dark horizon in the following image acting as a clear divider between the sky and its reflection in the wet sand.
Careful use of depth of field can help separate subjects from each other. Wildlife photography and portraiture often use this technique, although it is sometimes overused to the point of becoming a cliché. The current craze for attractive bokeh has resulted in countless images of birds perched on sticks and models in the foreground in a completely simple background. This goes perfectly well with photographs of a bird identification book and fashion portfolio, but the photos could be more interesting if they included some additional information that provides context. Doing that well requires more skill than just shooting with a long lens and wide aperture. Wonderful thing Annie Leibovitz often includes background to her photos to add to the story she is creating. However, she does it subtly, so the separation persists.
The use of color can also add separation. Look for complementary colors, i.e. colors on opposite sides of the color wheel, that make the subject stand out from the background. I talked more about increasing the illusion of greater distance between the subject and its background in my previous post.
Particularly important for black and white photography is sound separation. People who are new to monochrome photography sometimes complain that their images look like a mixture of grayscale. This is because they haven’t yet grasped the idea of seeing without color, and different brightness levels are needed to disconnect subjects in the frame. One way to learn to see black and white is to switch the camera to monochrome. With the electronic viewfinder, you can preview how the image will look in real time.
Take the following image as an example of how not all color photos work with black and white. The complementary colors of red and green stand out from each other. But the fruit and leaves have approximately the same brightness, so the black and white colors of the fruit start to get lost against the background.
The seasonal breakdown can be seen in the chart. A strong peak indicates an area of particular brightness. However, we cannot rely on that alone. The main subject must often be isolated from what is immediately around it, and although the histogram shows the amount of light differently in the image, it does not indicate where it is distributed in the image. But the U, M, N, and W histograms are a good indication that the image can make a good black and white photo.
Although it is possible to separate the original colors in a black and white image using adjustments in the processing and development software, this should be applied with care, as heavy-handed changes to the sliders will create out ugly artifacts in the photo. However, they can be used gently to accentuate tonal separations that already exist.
Contrasting elements in an image, such as tones, complementary colors, and textures, are what was suggested by artist, designer and writer, Johannes Itten, who taught the basics course at the Bauhaus. His whole composition approach was to define contrast, not only light and dark, but points and lines, many and few, dark and light, sweet and sour, one and many, liquid and solid, big and soft, young and old, and so on. Any physical feature you can think of that has contrasting contrasts can be used to help create separation.
The more complex the image, the harder it is to find a way to separate each subject. Of course, this could be the effect we’re trying to achieve; I repeat that segregation is not a rule to be strictly followed.
Separation is often blatant, because there is a tendency to force photographers to make the subject of their images obvious. I’ve seen photo entries flagged because they require research before getting a grip on what’s going on. But instead, we might consider delaying understanding of the image, asking the viewer to examine it more closely before realizing its content. Take, for example, the following photo. At first glance, the subject is clear: a young woman with a bright red color on her roller blade, separated from the relatively dull color in the background. She is small and the statue behind her is huge.
However, it took a short time to realize that there was actually an additional separation that wasn’t immediately apparent, something that would likely be missed as people scroll through Instagram.
If you consider Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photographs and his research at the crucial moment, much of what he illustrates is about separation and when it happened. His most famous image”Place de l’Europe, Gare Saint Lazare, Paris, is a perfect example. Sports and street photographers are often looking for the same.
What examples of separation capture your imagination? Is it something that you intentionally included in your photo? Please share your thoughts and photos in the comments section. It would be great if you have any other method to add separation to your photos.
