All photos, including banner, by Nick Delany. Article edited by Anke Weber, Co-Editor, Close-Up Digital.
In 2024, I travelled to Japan on a photography workshop that has impacted my composition style significantly. My impression of Japan was shaped overwhelmingly by its immense population of 124 million people crowded into the world’s 11th most populous country. Space is at such a premium that designing for the optimal use of it is paramount. Equally, such a valuable commodity should be pleasing to the eye.
In Japanese aesthetics, MA (間) is the art of space — the pause, the silence, the interval that gives meaning to what surrounds it. It is not emptiness, but rather the presence of absence — the quiet that allows form and feeling to breathe. In photography, MA transforms visual composition from representation into contemplation. By embracing the three elements of MA: minimalism, asymmetry, and space, photographers can reveal more by showing less.
The essence of MA: emptiness charged with quiet energy.
Note that the alcove is offset as is the flower arrangement within it.
This room is a perfect illustration of the design concept of MA.
Section I – The Power of Minimalism: The Beauty of Less
Minimalism in MA is not reduction for its own sake, but refinement — removing distractions until only what is essential remains. In photography, this means allowing a single subject or gesture to fill the frame with meaning. The viewer’s attention is gently guided, not forced.
Serenity in simplicity — where stillness becomes form.
Still water, still spirit — where absence reveals sacred presence.
Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add,
but when there is nothing left to take away.”
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Section II – Asymmetry: Balance Through Unequal Harmony
Western composition often seeks symmetry and stability even though composition does introduce the Rule of Thirds. MA, in contrast, embraces imbalance — the asymmetrical arrangement that evokes movement, impermanence, and life itself. The eye flows naturally toward tension and release, echoing the rhythms of nature and time.
Silence and breath — the asymmetry of nature at rest.
Asymmetry in both images invites motion: one through architectural rhythm, the other through natural pause. See how it creates tension in the image, drawing your eye back to the winding steps to discover where the walker cane from, or into the space held by the hippo’s gaze. This tension triggers the viewers imagination to discover the story behind the image or even create it themselves.
Section III – The Use of Space: Breathing Room for Emotion
The third pillar of MA is space as emotion. Negative space is not an empty void but a living silence that gives the subject context and soul. In photography, this means composing for air — for distance, for silence, for the unseen energy between elements.
The rhythm of quiet — lines of wind and silence creating the patterns.
Where light withdraws, emotion expands — creating a sense of the vast scale of the land.
Section IV – Applying MA Across Genres
From landscape to wildlife to architecture, the principles of MA transcend subject matter. They are not rules but sensibilities — ways of seeing. A photographer practicing MA approaches each frame not to capture, but to listen:
- In landscapes, space reveals mood and movement of air.
- In architecture, lines breathe in rhythm with light.
- In wildlife, silence transforms presence into spirit.
- In still life, emptiness becomes a vessel for meaning.
Landscape (Snow field) – Minimal wildlife (Swan, Hippo) –
Architecture (Steps, Tatami room) – Abstract nature (Torii, Trees)
Conclusion – Finding MA in the Moment
To photograph with MA is to respect the quiet of the space. It is the discipline of restraint — to wait, to frame, to breathe. In a world filled with noise, MA reminds us that silence, too, can speak.
With a special thanks to fellow photographer and VCC member Ken Mizokoshi,
who opened my eyes to the Design Concept of MA (間).
Nick Delany
I began photography in my teens with a Kodak Instamatic and developed my interest in B&W photography early with my Pentax SP1000. After 40 years of work I returned to my hobby, able to apply more time to learning and travel. I joined VCC on my arrival in Victoria in 2019 and found the club to be an inspiration to learn and try new things. I was fortunate to be the Photographer of the Year at VCC in 2023 and have earned a PPSA certification from the Photographic Society of America by gaining more than 300 acceptances in International Competitions plus over 100 awards. The bulk of my photography has been wildlife either in the Pacific Northwest or Africa but my current passion is B&W Street & Landscape photography. For wildlife photography, my equipment is the Sony A1 or A9 matched with the FE 200-600mm or the FE 70-200mm zoom. For all other genres I use a Leica Q3-43mm and for my B&W images I use a Leica Q2 28mm & M11 Monchrom with 50mm. I have been married to my fellow Club member Kathryn Delany for 40 years and we love to travel to destinations seldom covered by other photographers to seek out new and interesting stories.