Negative space and framing

Sorry... I'll admit I haven't had time to read all 5 pages of this thread, but I just wanted to throw in my 2c...
I'm not sure if this is worthy of a new thread, but how about perceived negative space?
Have a look at this picture...
http://www.homeofpoi.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3612
(Sweet picture, by the way, Sprocket... Love the silhouette.)

The buzz saw makes a circle. That circle doesn't really exist, but you see it. Inside the circle is negative space. Again, it's not 'real' negative space, but to all intents and purposes, it looks like it in the photo. From the way your eyes work, if you spin fast enough, you see the circle without needing a long camera exposure.
Now... This is speculation, seeing as I've never done a proper buzz saw before, but imagine: You go into a regular buzz saw, then as you do so, you move your hands up and down (left hand up as right hand goes down and vice versa). Anyone standing to your side (like the viewpoint in this photo) would see negative space shapes.

I've taken literally hundreds of photos of various people playing with fire toys, and if you're taking pictures, negative space defines the difference between a cool picture and a big fiery mess. Not that a big fiery mess is necessarily a bad picture. =)

At any rate, I think this thread would be especially valuable to anyone who wants to work on their gallery page!
Does all of that make sense? Grab a friend with an SLR and have fun, people. =)




Disclaimer: My apologies if this is in any way arty or wanky. I'm a graphic designer, so I guess that makes me both. =P
On the plus side, it means I know a lot about negative space, seeing as I use it a lot.

Id read the rest of the thread if i were you.

T

Nice photo Xan

That's a clever use of a lighted circle contrasted with a silhouetted figure juxtaposed against a negative space composed of mid tone brows which evokes feelings of a sunrise when viewed through a screen of dense forest. Fish can't deny it when they fart. The multicoloured circle is suggestive of a rainbow, which many dream analysts say represents a new beginning, or a birth while the darknss of the silhouette is quite obviously representative of the end of life. Your photo is a great metaphor for the paths and choices we all make in life, from a bright beginning, through a confusing haze of decisions until the final moment, the absence of colour, and life. At least that's what your photo says when it speaks to me.

That's arty and wanky

Good point though, using the ideas on this thread when composing a photograph, however I have a hard time differentiating between calling somthing negative space, or simply just a background.I couldn't make much sense out of using negative space while spinning three dimensional patterns.

Heh... 'Fraid I can't claim any credit for that photo. It was just a cool one I found in a gallery I was browsing. Thought it illustrated my point pretty well.

I need to get hold of a cheap scanner and upload some pictures sometime... Trust me, Coleman, those results are worth it! =)

stout: hehehe. sometimes arty and wanky is also funny..!

Ok, I lust pick R-Type from staff. Creating negative space
by catching oppsite Poi head to get horizontal line and
moving it in R-Type motion(LAB Reports, Mcp). This no all,

Let say it makes negative space between arms, body and Poi,
now try to get throught it, you may get behind the back, it
is ok, cause you going backward will get you back or you
repeat the same move the other 'negatve' dirrection.

Skipping rope, created by BF tangle still, like knot
and jump overs.

can't wait tommorow,

:R

In the 'does anyone else think the poi forum has died?' thread Rob mentions the idea of negative space wibbling. Now, my understanding of negative space is limited, and I haven't done much with it yet, but I wondered if this move would qualify.

Do an anti-clockwise crosser/huggy/whateveryouwanttocallit.

The poi in your left hand will be on the right hand side of your body.

Release the it on the upswing. As you do so, lift your arms away from your body, so that what I am assuming is negative space opens up between your crossed forearms and your torso.

As the left poi head falls through the negative space, catch the handle on your left upper arm for a wibble.

The poi head will come up the outside of the left arm.

It will then fall through the negative space again, for a wibble off the right arm, and so on.

Not sure what to do with the poi in the right hand through all of this. Pengulums work quite well with the rocking movement of the arms to make the wibbles.

So...does this qualify as negative space wibbling? Anyone got any ideas/developments?

Shill
x

i don't see why it wouldn't *goes to get wibbles*

i've done lots of throws and catches through the gap when you ope your arms up, including traps in the elbow when most of the poi has passed through: so there's absolutely no reason why it can't be turned into a wibble - it will just require a slight movement of the upper arm *he said, confidently*

if you could wibble like that with both upper arms, i reckon you could also do a butterfly with two poi in the hands

Cool

It should also be possible to do it with the poi going the other way, landing it on the other side of your arm, outside the space and wibbling it up through the middle and across to the other side.

yes, wibbing into the negative space! cool

It's a pain in the arse, I only have crappy old poi at home. I'll have a play with this when I get back to Sheffield and see what happens

I've only now started to play with negative spaces today. Mind bending things. Anyone apply these to fire-spinning. I'm not limiting myself to fire-spinning, but I rather spend time practicing on really useful moves, so do people use these while spinning fire? I can see why it would be un-practical to do, but damn cool if possible.

So, do anyone ??

Anyhow, it's fun to just play as well

*bump*

I would benefit from a dedicated workshop on negative space, because I honestly have never had much of an idea on how to go about playing with it.

I started playing with it just by laying a poi over a shoulder and thinking of ways I could stick the other poi through the hole I'd just made. Often it ends up that you can get out of them by flicking the poi over your head and doing a barrel roll or flicking it into a corkscrew or into an over the head TTN, this is incredibly basic negative space stuff, but it might be a beginning for you, squid.

Yeah, I've played with ideas like that. Seems like inversions, straightjackets, and such are about as far as I progress. But I thought there has to be more to it all.

I guess I have this idea in my head about hitting the negative space via thrown poi and catches; between the legs; just something, but without a stalled poi. Does that make sense?

The idea of a static poi being used kind of interrupts the overall flow. Dont get me wrong: I love the tech geekery. I've even ordered my official geek badge. But for me, it has to be reached with an awareness to the overall flow. This mainly comes from my desire to use negative space with fire.

Ya, some of the stuff in the Spinach Session (Lost Leaves) vid is not possible with fire, sadly.

Does that really matter?

That post seems a bit short, I was in a rush when I wrote that, but I mean more along the lines of "why does that matter?" Hmm maybe thats a bit short, too.

I just dont see everything being about fire... and a lot of movements I don't use with fire still benefit me when I do use fire because it helps with the interconnectedness of things... if you could look smooth with negative space stuff, you'll have a really good feel of flow when you are using fire.