Our life is full of empty space. – Umberto Eco
Who doesn’t love open, empty spaces? Unless you are hunted by wild dogs of course.
Patti urges us to look for empty space in our photography – please visit her beautiful examples to get more inspiration! In this post, I think I might have some negative space images as well – or some that can fit both descriptions.

Empty space help us to find the object easier, and it gives us room to move and breathe. My daughter and son in the speaking tunnel In Umeå.

The two of them again, but, how often do you find the metro tunnels empty? In fact I had to wait for quite a while for this shot.

An empty space like this one, in one of Porto’s wineries, makes me want to put on a pair of nice socks and go sock skating on that shiny floor. Hopefully without breaking anything… but no – I am Not too old for this!

Open land and empty space outdoors lifts your eyes and your soul – you soar over the landscape. At least I always wish I could. I was waiting for the cranes at Hornbogasjön, but it was too early in the year. No real subject or object, but I was happy to get the empty space anyway.

Seascapes are much loved empty spaces, and you never get tired of the views. Open sea at the inside passage, Alaska. Our eyes are drawn to the ship first, and then further on to the mountains.

Other examples of empty spaces are for example this lawn in front of the castle…where everything in the picture leads you up to the steps and the castle entrance.


The water on both sides of the birds……and the sky over and below the bridge. These use empty space to define the object we wanted to photograph.

Maybe my favourites are roads and animals in empty spaces. Often because I realise the vastness of these, and how small and insignificant we humans are.

Walking alone in the desert – but in good company.

A beach is of course a wonderful choice. For anyone! Visit in the off-season and you can enjoy this view outside Edinburgh. Emptiness at its best.

A mountain plateau in Iceland with a peak at the far end means empty space and slopes leading the eye further on.

I guess an empty space like this one, in Sofia, can mark out who is the leader – at least before the next cat arrives…
Then there are us, humans, in empty spaces in Denmark in the opener.
Patti points out that empty space can highlight and define the subject, create a more dramatic scene, and can convey a mood to our viewers. Hope to see Your choices this week! You can explore empty spaces close to home or from your archives. Any space is possible.
Include a link to Patti’s original post and be sure to use the Lens-Artists tag so we all can enjoy your photos. A special thanks to James for guest hosting last week, with a wonderful challenge inspiring us to experiment with perspective. Next week, it’s Amy’s turn to lead us. Her theme will be “Unique.”
If you’re new to Lens-Artists and would like to join, follow this link for more information.
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Wonderful post, Leya 👏 You must have had incredible patience for the subway shot 😃
Thank you, Jez, well, patience is a virtue worth growing!
Wow!! What an amazing collection of outstanding photos, Leya! They are all so good, the castle, the winery, the seascapes… I’ll stop here. Why mention them all? I’ll just say I love them all.
Thank you for a lovely comment, Anita!
I found your choices for the prompt to be so intriguing. I especially found the Porto’s wineries photo so full of details yet so perfect for the space that was empty that it captured. Your landscapes photos draw the eyes in so well. I adore the photos of your loved ones walking away from you, there’s a sense of adventure and a longing to catch up and not be left behind. Nicely done!
Thank you so much, Shelley! We do love our children for ever, don’t we!
You’re welcome! Yes, we do indeed 💖💗😍
Fantastic images! Great tones in that second one (the mono!)
Thank you so much, happy you like it!
Beautiful selection – I think my favorite is the beach!!
What amazing photos Ann-Christine! They fit the challenge theme so well.
Thank you, Sheetal!
So many fine examples in this post, Leya. I love the one of your children in the metro. All the wide-open spaces draw me, of course, especially the shot of Alaska’s inside passage, and the wetland of Hornbogasjön.
Thank you, Lindy. I see that metro shot is the winner this week. I loke it too.
Some amazing shot, what to to pick out. So Many but the man and camel stood out, for being a little bit different. But mountains and sea views always work for me
Thank you, Ritva. Yes, I liked that one too, but I must admit I have cloned out many plastic bags in that photo…the wind blew them in thousands across the sand. I had a bitter taste in my mouth and at first I did not want to use that photo. I hate what we humans leave nature with.
it is totally sad, also what people do to each other. Basically so many are indifferent. Only they are important. It is a fucked up world ( sorry for strong language – but I feel strongly about it
I cannot but agree. It’s a struggle to find positive things in the news too. It IS fucked up – well said.
Amazing series Ann-Christine…all great shots. Love the beach shot with the heavy clouds and the lines in the sand. Also the walking alone in the desert stands out for me. Well done 🙂
Thank you so much – happy you liked them. You have the same favourites as I have.
These photos are remarkable, AC! I love all of them. Breathtaking indeed! Difficult to pick my favorite… Sick skating, love it! 😊
Haha, thank you – we could have had great fun!
Oops sock… sorry about that.
Talk about grand open spaces. I so adored seeing each one of your photos 😀 😀
Thank you very much, Cee! So glad you liked them – open spaces make you breathe easily!
Love your empties!
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Haha. Can I please go sock skating with you?! That sounds like fabulous fun in that winery. I love all your images, AC. The lines and light of the metro were great for directly the viewer in what appears to be empty at this time. The Iceland photo is like a watercolor. Stunning. I love your thoughts about how lines and spaces lead our direction. And also how we really are insignificant in this vast world. My favorite is of the desert with the person and the camel.
*directing the viewer.
Thank you, Donna! That is something I do regret…not doing the skating. Great fun if you had been there – I bet you would have done it and dragged me in!
haha, yup since my husband would be horrified to see us, He would find somewhere to grab a beer.
Looks like my husband too then…
Love the wide range of images. Interesting how empty can be so beautiful! Then again, clutter gets in beauty’s way. Well done, AC
Thank you, Frank – an interesting challenge with many possibilities.
Hi AC. Every image is a wow! Stunning gallery and each image is so well explained and captured. Outstanding post. 🙂 🙂 I especially loved the images with your son and daughter–captured with love.
Thank you, Patti for your positive words. I struggled a bit at first, but settled for the possibility of my own interpretation. Then I loved it, and hopefully it met the prompt anyway!
It definitely did. 🙂 🙂
You definitely nailed the brief
Thank you so much, Sheree!
Pleasure Leya
Your landscapes are all my favourites this week, Ann-Christine. You’ve captured the vastness of those empty spaces and still managed to give us a perfect sense of their scales. Another great, inspiring post.
Another lovely comment from you, Sofia, thank you. At first I had some trouble finding something that wasn’t a landscape view…but hopefully I managed in the end.
what a great gallery!
Thank you, Teresa!
Another wonderful gallery. I particularly like the metro tunnel with its curved wall. Empty space? Maybe, maybe not, but a great shot.
Thanks, Jude. I had some difficulties with what was expected of us, but decided we are free to interpret!
Yep…the header images is great. 🙂
Thank you, David! Much appreciated.
I love the Header, Ann-Christine, and the Alaskan scene, of course, but I really did want to see you in those socks. Though the floor doesn’t really need much polishing. Go carefully!
Haha, I do regret I never tried…
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Perfect gallery!
Thank you so much!
A wonderful gallery,from which the beach and the desert MAY be favourites. Ask me again tomorrow!
Well, Margaret – I won’t ask you, I believe you may have found your favourites already!
The marvels just kept coming, every photo a gem that made me sigh or go wow. A brilliant gallery for empty spaces Ann-Christine 😀😀
Oh, how happy I am you liked them! At first I had some trouble with understanding the difference between empty spaces and negative ones. But, we are always free to interpret the challenges our own way!
I enjoy artistic freedom too 🙂
Great response Ann-Christine. Amazing photography, especially in the two tunnels and winery. Your landscapes were wonderful also.
Thank you, Anne, I only regret I never took the chance of skating…
Wowza Ann-Christine. Love all of your images as usual but I’m counting my favorites as the metro tunnel, then the next image of the fancy floor, the open road and of course the beach. Fabulous!!
Thank you, Tina! I had some trouble with understanding how to work on it, but after some thinking and looking at your entry, it was great fun. That metro tunnel seems to be the favourite this time.
GREAT choices Leya. Superb photos. Love the tunnels and the ‘skating’ rink! Where is that castle/mansion? Love the outdoor-scapes too. Looks like that cat solved the maze!
Thanks John, and I regret I never really did skate there… The castle is in Sweden – the first one in Sweden to have a modern bathroom and toilet! All imported from Scotland and England in the 19th century.
Once again WP has eaten my comment, saying I wasn’t logged in. Not true. However… All your examples were excellent but the ones that stood out to me were the black and white of your daughter and son, the two seascapes, and the man and camel. I like the feeling of space in photos like these, a feeling that came come even if there’s quite a lot in the photo.
My comments don’t show up for some seconds, and the button doesn’t shine. But, finally I can see it.
I love that space too, even if it is not totally empty. That B&W is one of my favourites too.
Great examples and beautiful photos Leya
I am glad you liked them, Alison! I had fun choosing them.
Empty? None of these beautiful photos are !!! There is the sky in all its moods and the land with its manmade additions and the sea . . . perchance most of us are simply used to seeing man as chief subject . . . without . . . what seems to be the purpose . . . ?
Better without, according to me! ♥
Ann-Christine, I could comment on each single photo. You have excelled with this gallery. I kept going back to the winery and Alaska photos. Then I saw the castle with its leading lines. Or the camel in the desert or the breathtaking photo in Iceland. In sum, it is really hard to say which one is my preferred photo. All are beautiful!
Thank you, Egidio, it was hard not to use all of those…so maybe a bit too many. But, I am happy you liked them all!