Let’s say you know you have to meet a stranger in your city sometime tomorrow. A survey during the 1950s found that this was a natural meeting point for people trying to connect in New York City. In the end, focal point as it relates to composition is up to your mind, your eye, your actions and your vision.The clock at the information booth at Grand Central Terminal. What is it that you hope to convey? What do you want your photo, or your subject, to represent to the viewer and their perception of your artwork? So, as with many aspects of photography, the focal point in photography composition has a lot to do with your own particularly unique view as the photographer. As you do this, your subject will become the focal point. If you aren’t familiar, don’t fear! It’s a very simple concept that consists of placing your main subject somewhere near the lower, upper, left or right third of your photo scene. Keeping the rule of thirds in mind is good when it comes to experimenting with focal points, too. For example, a bright coral pineapple print pillow on a white couch will stand out more than a cream-colored pillow on that same white couch. Play with colors, like we mentioned above. Keep things simple and uncluttered so that your focal point of choice has the viewer’s undivided attention. If you want to experiment with creating your own focal points, try isolating your subject. In comparison, if your photo is the same from the foreground to the background, your focal point will be less noticeable. With regards to depth of field, a limited depth of field will put an emphasis on your focal point. If you want the yellow door to be your point of focus and to help you create your concept, you want to make sure that door is clear (rather than, say, having the trash in the dumpster be clear). Think, for example, if you are taking a photo of a brick building with a yellow door and a dumpster in the corner. As such, the focal point tends to be sharp and clear. Your focal point is your way of expressing what you are hoping to convey in your photo. Your setting and the objects of that setting can greatly alter and enhance your focal points. If a stop sign is freshly painted in a thick coat of vibrant red, it’s going to stand out more than an old sign that’s a dull and somewhat muted red. Our eyes may be drawn to a larger subject (like a deep green cactus in desert landscape shot) but upon further investigation, we may notice a smaller secondary focal point that provides important details to the scene as well (like a person drinking water in the distance).Ĭolors also play a dramatic role in how focal points are perceived. Photos can also have more than one focal point. Or a bright flower in an otherwise dull open field - that will stand out, too. Perhaps you’ve taken a photo of a snorkeler in clear waters - he’ll stand out against the water. So, we’ve put together some tips and tricks to help you on your quest to understanding this concept and to allow it to aid in your creation of beautiful images! Colors and Contrastįocal points typically occur in the areas of the picture that have the highest contrast.

If you’re taking a portrait photo of a woman, you can focus on her earring, her hands or her face - and each of these creative decisions will yield drastically different end results.įocal points in photography composition are one of the aspects that draw your viewer into the photo - that intrigue - excite - and allow for interpretation.

Think, for a moment, about how drastically different a photo can become depending upon what you choose to focus on.

In photographic terms, a focal point can broadly be seen as a photographer’s point of view. In the realm of fine art, the focal point is defined as a point of interest that makes a work of art unique.

Focalpoint computer phone