When shooting outdoors, I catch myself using the sky as a backdrop, much like seamless photo paper used in a studio environment. It only recently dawned on me how often I do this.
The thing about cloth or paper backdrops in a studio is that they isolate the subject, omitting compositional elements that could otherwise prove distracting. When looking for a clean composition out in the field where most elements, i.e. people, are uncontrollable, the sky helps clean things up and lets the eye wander through negative space.
Funny thing is, I didn’t start shooting documentary work like this until after having spent many hours actually shooting in the studio.
Take, for example, this shot from the Day of Resistance rally at Flagpole Hill.
The next time you’re out making photos, try using the sky as a backdrop. You might enjoy playing with negative space as your frame up a clean shot.
