What Is Negative Fill In Photography? How and When to Use It

Using negative fill in photography involves adding contrast to the composition. When and how should you use this technique?

In your early days as a photographer, your main priority will probably be focusing on improving composition and getting to know the basics of your camera. But as you evolve, you’ll start thinking more about how light impacts your images—and how you can use various conditions and props to your advantage.

Many people who photograph subjects like food, people, and animals, quickly realize that negative fill can drastically improve the results of their images. Even better, using negative fill is pretty straightforward—and you don’t need much to get started.

If you’re keen to learn more about negative fill in photography, you’re in the right place. We’ll discuss the concept in a little more detail, along with identifying how and when you should use it.

What Is Negative Fill In Photography?

Negative fill allows photographers to add a little contrast to their images before the post-production process. In many instances, you’ll use negative fill when the subject has little contrast with the background—making it difficult for you to get them to stand out.

If you’ve been in the photography space for a while, you might already have heard of the term “fill”. Understanding negative fill is much easier if you’re already aware of that concept; fill simply refers to reducing the contrast between a subject and your background.

How Is Negative Fill Used in Photography?

Photographers use several tactics to create negative fill. If you’re in a studio, you can use various objects to add a contrast between your subject and the background—some of which we’ll discuss in more detail later.

However, negative fill in photography isn’t reserved solely for indoor photographers. If you prefer to shoot outdoors, you can utilize negative fill by maximizing the use of your surroundings.

Several photography-related skills are interchangeable with filmmaking, and negative fill is one of them. Cinematographers will use negative fill in almost all of the same scenarios that you would in photography.

Why Is Negative Fill Important?

As your photography progresses, you’ll start looking at other people’s work with more of a critical eye. And when you begin sifting through photos, you’ll quickly notice that many images are relatively flat in terms of lighting, making them look somewhat dull.

When you use negative fill in your photography, you’ll create a clear buffer between your subject and the background. By using shadows and darker lights, you can add a better definition to their shape. With this in mind, negative fill is also useful to know if you want to make your images look more three-dimensional.

When Should You Use Negative Fill?

Among several other techniques, negative fill is an excellent way to improve your portrait photography. However, the concept is by no means limited to a single genre.

You should use negative fill when your subject and background seem to blend in with one another or when your images look flat. Examples of situations where you might want to use negative fill include:

• When you have a brightly-colored product, such as a white iPhone, against a similarly-bright background.
• When you have a person wearing clothes that are a similar color to your background.
• When you’ve got too much light coming into your image from other sources.

Tips for Using Negative Fill

So far, we’ve gone into pretty reasonable depth about what negative fill is as a concept. Now, we can talk more about how you can maximize its use in photography. Below, you’ll discover five ways to use negative fill to get the results you desire from your images.

1. Shoot in Less Harsh Lighting

Taking photos in harsh lighting poses several challenges, which is why many photographers avoid doing so. And while you can use the shadows produced to achieve negative fill, we’re going to go a little left-field here and suggest that you shoot in less harsh lighting to maximize your results.

Negative fill relies a lot on blocking out excessive light, and clouds on an overcast day do that job for you naturally. As such, you’ll have an easier time achieving the look you want from your pictures.

2. Use V-Flats

Indoor photography can be difficult, especially if you’re working in a studio with lots of lights. Luckily, you’ve got various options if you want to achieve negative fill—and V-flats are one of the most popular items for doing this.

Photographers use V-flats to remove or enhance light; the boards look like Vs, hence their name. You can use black or white versions, and the best choice will depend on your subject. If you have a person with a grown beard and a black shirt, for example, you might want to use the white background instead.

You can find V-flats online at various price points.

3. Use Another Light-Blocking Material

If you don’t have a V-flat, you can use other materials that block light instead. For example, you can get a few pieces of cardboard and place them where you need to—though you’ll probably want to paint these a specific color.

Other examples of light-blocking materials that you can use include:

• Blinds (make sure you consider textures)
• Floppies
• Walls

4. Move Your Subject Closer to Something That Blocks Light

If you take photos outdoors, you can still use V-flats. However, you might not want to carry them around, and not every scenario requires them. If either of these applies to you, consider moving your subject closer to something that blocks light.

If you’re in a park, you might want to think about moving your subject close to a tree. Another alternative might be to move the thing you want to photograph next to a building.

5. Use Post-Production Software

You’re better off getting negative fill right when taking the photo outside. However, you can also alter how your image looks and achieve negative fill in the post-production phase.

Once you’ve uploaded your images onto your computer, open your editing software of choice; whether it be Lightroom or Capture One. Once the program has loaded up, you can tweak the contrast, shadows, and exposure to get the results you want.

Negative Fill Can Advance Your Photography if You Use It Correctly

Negative fill isn’t as well-known in photography as other concepts, such as color theory. But if you learn to use it correctly, you can drastically increase the quality of your photos and make your subjects pop against the background.

If you’re new to negative fill, you’ll probably need to practice for at least a few months before getting the hang of things. Once you do, however, you’ll have a very helpful skill that you can add to your photography toolbox.