Focal Points In Photography

Posted on | August 11, 2009 | No Comments

In common language, the word “focus” usually means the concentration of attention on something. In the world of visual arts, the focal point is the place on the canvas on which the observers’ eyes will focus. In short, it is the point of interest which makes your photograph unique.

Any photograph lacking a focal point will not attract except a few quick glances. 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. Next time you are taking a photograph, think where the focal point should be. A good place to start is at the four hot-spots or along the lines of thirds. Another possibility is to place it at the convergence point of leading lines which naturally grab attention into the photograph. In this case the Rule of Thirds can be neglected for a more symmetric composition.

Making an object more significant can be done by having a strong contrast between it and patterns around it. This contrast will add more definition to the shape of your object yielding an excellent focal point. A strong colorful contrast can only improve the effect further. 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. The abrupt change in details will give the object a definitive and clear shape, making it the center of attention. Thus, selective focusing becomes very handy tool to underscore your focal point. The strength of this effect is determined by how shallow or deep the DOF is. If you are photographing in a dynamic surroundings, you can make use of the movements around you to achieve a similar effect without messing with DOF. A still object will stand out in a photograph with many moving objects when utilizing a slow shutter speed.

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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