Photography Focal Points

In common language, the word “focus” usually means the concentration of attention on something. Similarly, in photography, a focal point can be considered as the place on which all the observers’ eyes will be set when he looks at a photo. In short, it is the point of interest which makes your photograph unique.

A plain photo with no focal points will probably not grab the attention of the observer for a long time even if the composition is great. This is because naturally the eyes will search for the unique and different things in the composition. Whether it is a flower, a barrel, or a human, any interesting object will do.

The impact of the focal point on your photo can be further enhanced using many techniques. The first thing to take care of is where to place your focal point. According to the Rule of Thirds, it is better to be placed at one of the four intersection points. A different approach is to let other elements, like leading lines, dictate the focal point. In this case the Rule of Thirds can be neglected for a more symmetric composition.

In addition to the position, contrasting your object with a background of textures or patterns will make it stand out too. This contrast will add more definition to the shape of your object yielding an excellent focal point. Colors can also come to play here by using strong contrast between the object’s and the background’s. Always remember that the brighter and bigger your object is, the more attention it will grab.

Another form of contrast that can be used is that of details. This is achieved by blurring out the foreground to bring the focus on an object in the background, or vice versa. With the whole picture blurred out except for a detailed object, it will naturally grab the attention of the observer. Thus, selective focusing becomes very handy tool to underscore your focal point. The shallower the DOF is, the blurrier the out of focus objects will be. A similar effect can be the result of motion blur. In long exposures, moving objects tend to lose their details while still objects maintain their shapes and forms.

A photograph may have more than one focal point, but be careful as too many may make your photo crowded and will confuse the observer. Therefore, when capturing your next photo, try to think about it from an observer’s point of view.  

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