When a person looks at a picture, the person responds. The response depends on the person and on the picture.

Photographs with a Strong, Clear Message

Many good photographers make pictures which evoke a specific response. The viewer understands a situation, and experiences a feeling; the artist accomplishes the objective of sharing a feeling or communicating an idea.

Ink Blots

Some images may not evoke a specific, planned response. Viewers may respond based more on their frame of mind. A popular example would be Rorschach ink blots.  But ink blots are obviously ink blots. Viewers say, "It looks like..." People know they are looking at nothing, and consciously report what they choose to report from within their imagination.

Low Density

Some pictures evoke responses which depend on the viewer's frame of mind, but are not obviously images of nothing. I am beginning to develop a photographic style that I call Low Density. This site describes Low Density and gives examples.

Space and Subject

Low Density photographs emphasize the space around the subject to imply space around the viewer, and de-emphasize the subject.

Emphasis of Space

I have found three general ways to emphasize space in Low Density pictures: reduced clarity, shadows, and cropped objects.

Reduced Clarity

Haze, fog, glare, lens flare, halation and lens flare can be used to emphasize the space around objects. Software can impart selective blurring digitally -- see the "Synthetic Depth of Field” page. Reduced clarity emphasizes space around an object by imparting a more uniform texture, making the space more contiguous. 

Ubiquitous Shadows

Widespread shadows, produced by dim, diffuse light, emphasize the space around objects by darkening surfaces and giving them visual weight which exceeds the weight of objects in the scene.  

Cropped Objects
Another general way to imply a continuing space is to include of part of something large, which is known to extend beyond the edges of the image. Railroad tracks, smooth waves on water, a group of birds. Overall context of a picture can help too. The viewer can be inside a big room, or under prominent clouds.

De-emphasis of Subject
We can try to find uninteresting subjects, or manipulate interesting subjects to make them uninteresting.

Uninteresting Subjects

Abstract designs, patterns, and doodles may be uninteresting.

Uninteresting Manipulations

Manipulations most applicable to Low Density are subtractive in the sense that they are performed to remove information.

Low Resolution

If an otherwise interesting object is not resolved clearly (by unclear focus, insufficient number of pixels, or insufficient color palette) it may not receive attention. The current state of digital photography is quite helpful here.

Large, Indefinite Number

A large number of things may be seen as uninteresting clutter. A haphazard pattern scatters the viewer’s attention, dissipating focus and interest. The group of birds below may achieve this.

Indeterminate Scale

If the scale of a picture is indefinite, the picture may be uninteresting. Photographs of the Grand Canyon often include a person or an animal in order to provide a key to the vast size of the canyon. Without this key, scale – a significant feature of the canyon – is not apparent.