Theme: Negative Space Location: Allestree Park, Derby

We’ve officially crossed the one-month mark of the 2026 challenge! After a very soggy Week 3 in the Peak District, the weather finally played ball this week. I headed over to Allestree Park to tackle Negative Space—a theme that’s all about what you don’t include in the frame.

The Mission

Negative space isn’t just “empty” space; it’s a tool to emphasize your subject and create a specific mood—usually one of scale, loneliness, or peace.

Watch the Week 4 Vlog here

The Highlights

1. The Sky as a Canvas I spent a lot of time looking up. I found a beautifully weathered tree and used my 17-40mm lens to isolate its branches against a clear blue sky. By placing the branches in the corner and letting the blue sky take up 70% of the frame, the intricate details of the wood really popped.

2. Silhouette vs. Texture I experimented with the light to see how it changed the “weight” of the negative space. Shooting toward the sun created a dark silhouette where the bright sky acted as a bold, high-contrast frame. Shooting with the sun at my back allowed the “weathered and damaged” texture of the bark to tell a story while the sky remained a soft, supporting background.

3. Minimalist Nature Beyond the trees, I managed to find two of my favorite shots of the week:

• The Lone Gull: Captured mid-flight against a vast, empty sky.
• The Swan: A black and white edit of a swan on the lake. The dark, still water created a heavy, dramatic negative space that made the white feathers of the swan look incredibly elegant.

A Lesson Learned (The Hard Way)

If you watch the video, you’ll see my “pro-tip” for the week: Always check your batteries! I went out with two batteries, and both were flashing red almost immediately. I managed to get my final shot—a single apple clinging to a winter branch—literally seconds before the camera died for good.

Final Thoughts

This week was a great reminder that sometimes “less is more.” It was the perfect palette cleanser before we head into February.

Next Week’s Theme: Frame Within a Frame (I’ve swapped this from the original list to focus more on creative composition!)

Did you find it hard to leave parts of your frame “empty” this week? Let me know in the comments!