Creative Complexity: Subject Separation {Week 42}

This week Photo 52 is exploring different ways of emphasizing the subjects of our images, making sure that they stand out sufficiently from the background to communicate our intention to the viewer. One effective technique is physical separation between the subject and other people or objects, making sure that there is space between the background elements as well. Such layering in a composition adds not only dimension but opens the door for a bit of visual storytelling.

Below is a photo of my son getting his first haircut at the famous Denny Moe's Superstar Barbershop in Harlem. The man getting a straight razor shave in the background is just as important as my son, the subject in the foreground. In fact, they quite nearly mirror each other on opposite edges of the frame. The end result, using space separation as a compositional technique, is a tangible experience of the barbershop "buzz" inside Denny Moe's.

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