What Is the Difference Between Shape & Form in Photography?

Space

• Every photograph is composed of positive and negative space. Positive space includes the items and objects in the photograph and the negative space is the emptiness surrounding the space. In a studio photograph of a red ball on a white background, the positive space is the ball and the negative space is the studio or white space around it.

Shape

• Shapes are learned early in life -- squares, triangles hexagons, and so on. Shapes are formed at the intersection of three lines and are distinguishable in and out of the natural world. The ways shapes interact in a photograph draw the eye in and create interest in the composition. The positive space in a photograph may be composed of multiple shapes.

Form

• Most simply, the form of an object comes from light and darkness. The form is the three-dimensionality of the object, and since the photograph is two-dimensional, this is represented in light and shadow. Form includes three elements: length, width and depth. The direction and intensity of the light in the photograph will dictate the form. Without any light, there would be no form. The black and white photograph brings our attention to the form of the objects in the photograph, reducing everything to a combination of light and shadow.

Composition

• The way the shapes and forms interact on the photographic plane is the composition. When the photo is largely composed of negative space, the shape and form of the shapes represented in the positive space are focused on more intensely. The space and form combine within the photograph to communicate the composition of the photo.