The Importance of a Focal Point in Photo Compositions 

by Wayne Turner

"Missed the Boat" captured by Tony Taffinder (Click Image to See More From Tony Taffinder)

"Missed the Boat" captured by Tony Taffinder (Click Image to See More From Tony Taffinder)

A focal point is the part of an image that draws the eye of a viewer to the most important part of the image or the area that you want to highlight. How you do this will make or break the final image. If you don’t know how to create this point then you will not achieve much in your photography.
The professionals have all worked this one out and if you are attempting to create similar images then learn this point well. It frustrates the eye of a viewer if there is no focal point as the eye is not drawn to any one particular part of the photo. The focal point only occupies a small part of the scene but will make or break the whole image. The simplest form of this is an isolated object seen from a distance on a plain background.
So how is this achieved successfully? Let’s take a look at a few pointers.

1. The rule of thirds

Fundamental to photography this rule needs to be learnt well and executed to perfection. If you know where to place your focal point then you will shoot great images every time. A focal point needs to be off centred and never in the middle of an image. The rule of thirds places it at a point that is very pleasing to the eye as discovered by the ancient Greeks. This golden rule will bring you success every time. Imagine a noughts and crosses or tic-tac-toe grid. Two lines across the image and two lines down the image i.e. vertically and horizontally placed. Equally spaced they cut the image up into thirds. Where these lines intersect are your focal points. The horizontal lines are where you place your horizons. The human eye loves to view subjects placed at these intersections. Take a magazine or travel book and take a look at how many times this rule is used effectively and see how your eye is drawn to them.

2. Directing attention through selective focusing

This is an incredibly effective way to focus attention on your subject of focal point. You need to know how aperture and depth of field works in order to use it properly. But, basically it’s very simple. Your settings i.e. f2.8, f4, f5.6 and so on change the size of your aperture all the way up to f32. You only need to be concerned with the lower apertures for this effect. If your lens goes to f1.2 brilliant, but most lenses won’t take you below f4 or f2.8 as they get more expensive the wider the aperture. Depth of field is the area of focus in front of and behind your subject. With the aperture wide open at f2.8 you will have very little in focus which makes it so effective with selective focusing. Everything not on the same focal plane as the subject will be out of focus and thereby excluded from the viewers attention. The longer your lens i.e. telephoto, the less depth of field you will have and the more you will be able to selectively focus. It’s a great way of drawing attention when used in conjunction with the rule of thirds.

"t&m" captured by Akel (Click Image to See More From Akel)

3. Using exposure

By underexposing parts of the image, i.e. making them darker, the areas that are light will stand out. If you are able to able to use this effectively the light parts will stand out as focal points and whatever you place here will become the point of focus in the photo. This really works well if you have a subject that is lighter than the underexposed, darker areas. Key to the process is knowing what the final image will look like in mind’s eye.

4. Light source

This really pushes your photographic eye to the limits and if you see the opportunity and go for it, will result in a stunning photo. How this works is that when you see a shaft of light or a ray of sunlight entering a window or coming through the clouds, use it to place your subject. A patch of late afternoon sun in dimming light will create an area that is much lighter than the surroundings. When you shoot an image and take the metering off this area, the surrounding environment will appear darker. The image now has a focal point that draws the eye in to the image. This will also work at night where a solitary window is lit and the surrounding area is dark. Experiment with this technique and you will soon be creating dramatically lit photos.
 

5. The eyes have it

By placing a person’s eyes on a two thirds intersection a viewers eyes are immediately drawn to that area. When the subject is looking down on something else like a child or an object your eye will be naturally drawn to the point where the subjects eyes are focused. Whenever you shoot a person eyes they will automatically become the focal point so if they are the focal point then you have a problem and they will compete for attention.

6. Two focal points

Sometimes you will have two focal points and there will be competition, but, you can offset this by using size. One of the focal points must be considerably larger which will draw the eye but immediately your focus will move to the smaller focal point. If they are the same size the viewer’s eyes will dart between them. So be very careful when using a double focal point.

"Working River" captured by Ray Devlin (Click Image to See More From Ray Devlin)

A focal point is essential to any great image and you need to be able to create this in every image. An image lacking this will appear flat and without impact. As you learn digital photography it will become easier and easier to place it in the right position. Happy shooting!
Do you want to learn more about photography in a digital world? I’ve just completed a brand new e-course delivered by e-mail. Download it here for free by clicking here: http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/ To learn how you can take your photography from ordinary to outstanding click here – http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/21steps.htm
Wayne Turner has been teaching photography for 25 years and has written three books on photography.

Tips for Using ISO Settings in Photography

by Morris 

"Christmas light" captured by Jingz (Click Image to See More From Jingz)

When you as a photographer – amateur or professional, analog or digital – practice your craft or hobby, you will at one time or another become acquainted with the three letters ISO. If the camera does not get enough light onto the sensor or film, the images will be too dark.
To correct this you can set a higher value on the ISO. All photographers are dependent on light and lighting conditions can be very variable at different locations or times of day. The ISO value is for that reason an important tool that allows the photographer to be able to work effectively in many different lighting conditions.
ISO value has influence on the shutter speed and aperture for any photo shoot. Deep in the rain forest, to a concert or a moonlight walk, where there is little light available, it will by using this tool will be possible to get excellent pictures without using a tripod. This is one of the reasons why the digital cameras has made it much easier to be a photographer.
ISO Indicates the Sensitivity of the Image Sensor
With ISO (International Standards Organization, previously known as ASA), we mean how quickly a film or digital sensor is capable of recording light. An image sensor set to ISO 100 requires twice as much light to achieve a normal exposure, as when the sensor is set to ISO 200.
In order to get twice the light the shutter speed must either be doubled (e.g., from 1/60 to 1/30 seconds) or the aperture must be opened up a whole f-stop (e.g., from f/5.6 to f/4).
That may not sound like a good idea to have to double the shutter speed so that we risk blurring the picture? Why doesn’t we always set the ISO speed as high as possible (e.g., ISO 1600) to obtain the fastest possible shutter speeds?
Higher ISO Values Produces More Noise
The downside of raising the ISO number is more noisy images – in the film world, this is a bit more romantically known as grain.
High ISO Entails Several Drawbacks
It is not just noise that increases with increased ISO settings. There are actually three “problems” that occur: increased noise, reduced sharpness and reduced contrast ratio.

High ISO = High Noise (Slightly exaggerated to show effect in this example)

The last two problems are usually marginal. The decrease in the sharpness of the increased noise that hides the details. Reduced contrast ratio refers to the ability to see details/nuances in the shadow areas as well as highlights.
Is Noise Always Negative?
People often tend to have a hard time telling the difference between images with low and high ISO speeds and very large prints. Therefore, it is difficult to choose which you prefer – a little “noise” doesn’t always disturb the picture. It may even bring a little feeling into the photo.
Different Cameras Provide Different Levels of Noise
Now you may think that you do not recognize this at all – when you test high ISO settings on your camera, the pictures may seem to be very noisy, much more noisy?
Yes, the noise is very different between different cameras and it has been an enormous development in recent years. If you have a compact camera, the risk that your images even at ISO 400 looks like ISO 3200 in other cameras. But if you use a modern digital SLR, you should be able to get great pictures even on ISO 800 and maybe even at higher ISO speeds if your camera allows it.
The problems we have these days when we assess the digital images is that we would look at them maximum zoomed in on the screen. However do not forget to relate to the possible noise you see to what size you actually use the image. Honestly, how many images to print larger than A5/A4?
How High ISO Should I Tolerate in My Camera?
Test your camera! Take a picture of the same motif with different ISO settings and print or send images to the photo lab. The most challenging is to shoot indoors in a low light setting. To try different ISO settings in daylight gives surprisingly comparable results, it is in low light conditions the major problems occur.

Photo captured by gitesh gupta (click image to see more From gitesh gupta)

This is What You Gain by Increasing the ISO Settings
Now I have spent the whole article to explain the potential problems of raising the ISO. Let us finally turn to the issue and look at the opportunities provided by changing the ISO value.

By Raising the ISO Setting, You Can:
- Speed Up the Shutter Speed.
It is common to have problems getting fast shutter speeds when taking pictures indoors at night (= reduced risk of image blur). Although you may have opened the aperture to the max, you may even have to raise the ISO as high you think the quality will allow.
- Reduce the Aperture Setting.
Instead of changing the shutter speed, you can choose to reduce the aperture (for example, from f/4 to f/5.6) if you need a greater depth of field.
- Try a Combination of Both.
For example, if you raise the ISO setting from 100 to 400, you have doubled the ISO value in two steps. This allows for faster shutter speeds combined with reduced aperture, like going from 1/30 to 1/60 sec. (= 1 step) and f/4 to f/5.6 (= 1 step).

Is it Possible to Lower the ISO Setting From Time to Time?
The most common is that you want to increase the ISO value, but if there is a lot of light in the scene it can be justified to go the other way. Here are three examples:
Example 1:
You want to shoot a stream and use a slow shutter speed around half a second to get good-looking motion blur in the water.
Answer:
Here you must set the camera at lowest ISO. If the minimum aperture is still not enough, you must use a gray filter that reduces the light inlet.
Example 2:
You want to shoot with wide aperture to get the short depth of field on a sunny day. You have chosen the A/Aperture Value setting (Auto Aperture Priority) to get to choose f/2.8 aperture while the camera determines the shutter speed for you. The problem is that your images are overexposed at all times.
Answer:
A large aperture (comparable with a large pupil) on a sunny day means fast shutter speeds. Most cameras cannot capture images faster than 1/4000 or 1/8000 seconds, which may be too slow for the ISO number you selected. If you can, try to reduce the ISO to 100 or 50. If it is not enough, the only choice left is to buy a gray filter for the lens, which removes some of the sunlight.

"bee seduction" captured by David Hobcote (Click Image to See More From David Hobcote)

Example 3:
You try to shoot indoors in a low light setting and has set the ISO at max, you have selected a large aperture and still think that the shutter speed is a bit too slow. You now turn on the flash and take the shot, however you notice that the picture becomes too bright. Despite the fact that you reduce the flash power all the images appear to be heavily overexposed.
Answer:
In extreme situations, the lowest effect of the flash can be too strong for the scene along with your choice of a high ISO number. The only opportunity to use flash in such a situation is to lower the ISO until you notice that the image becomes darker and then start to increase flash power again. From there, you will try to aim for a good balance between the ISO and the flash effect.
About the Author
Morris Scjomin has been a professional photographer for over 10 years, practicing exclusively in the field of portraiture, still life, and documentary images. He has an affection and a passion for camera lenses. For additional tips and advice please feel free to check out Morris Scjomin’s camera settings guide.

Applying the Rule of Thirds in Your Photography

by Frank Lucer

New photographers are taught the ‘rule of thirds’ as one of the first guidelines toward making exciting pictures. This is a technique in which a hypothetical grid (similar to a noughts and crosses board) is utilized to frame subjects. The grid separates an image into nine equal portions with four junction points and four lines.

"Looking Down on the Tallest Building in the World" captured by David Hobcote (Click Image to Find Photographer)

These points of intersection – and the lines which create them – serve as focus points. They accommodate a viewer’s natural tendency to focus on them. In doing so, the rule of thirds helps you to make pictures that are concurrently balanced and engaging.
In this post, we’ll explain how the R.O.T. is employed for single subject and multiple subject compositions. We’ll describe the guidelines of engagement and supply an example which will explain how the technique can be applied poorly. Lastly, you’ll discover why all rules of composition, including the ROT, are meant to be thrown out.

One Subject versus Many Subjects

In single subject photographs (i.e. those picturing a lone person or object), the composition’s main focal anchor rests along the left line of the grid. Points of interest that are positioned on that line will inspire your spectator to interact with your photo. When framing multiple subject compositions, a slightly different approach is needed.

"Pier into Whitby" captured by Paul Freeman (Click Image to Find Photographer)

Several points of interest need a prioritization of each subject’s importance to the photograph. You’ll need to consider which subjects will be in the foreground and which will remain in the background. Where you place those subjects on your ROT grid will either underline or discount their significance.
Of the four intersection points on your grid, the bottom right point has the most focal weight. That’s where your viewer’s eyes are naturally drawn in multiple subject compositions. The upper left point has the least focal weight. Imagine you were to seat your foreground subject on the upper left junction point while placing your background subject on the bottom right of the grid. Such framing would appear counterintuitive to your spectators. It would confuse them.

Further Rules Of Engagement

If humans are included in the foreground of your photos, the direction in which they are looking plays a significant role in creating a stimulating composition. The rule of thirds is best used in such circumstances when the subject is placed upon the line opposite of the direction in which he or she’s looking.

"Sit Fly" captured by Niklas Daniel (Click Image to Find Photographer)

For instance, imagine your image is focused on a man who is looking toward the right. He deserves to be positioned on your grid’s left line. Likewise, the line along which he is looking should run along the top line of your grid. This kind of framing is intuitive to the viewer; it seems natural. And is more engaging.
The rule of 3rds is usually applied poorly. This happens when the shutter-bug understands the strategy, but does not fully appreciate why it works. As an example, suppose you are photographing a dog and have him framed so his head is positioned on the higher left point and his tail on the bottom right point. As discussed earlier, the bottom right point has the most focal strength. The upper left point, the least. As a result, the dog’s tail would receive the attention rather than his head, reducing the impact of your picture.

Learning And Bending The R.O.T.

Like all rules of composition, the rule of 3rds can be bent or broken. In reality, setting it aside can yield photographs that deliver shocking impact. As an example, a lone road that runs directly into the horizon can be positioned directly in the middle of your image. While doing so ignores the ROT, it can produce a powerful image that draws your spectator’s eye.

"Spiderman's View" captured by Jason Lavengood (Click Image to Find Photographer)

By framing your subjects according to the rule of thirds, you’ll be able to create compositions that appear balanced and interesting to your viewer. That said, after you learn the way to effectively use the ROT, be open to experimenting with pictures that ignore it. You could be stunned by the effect your footage can have.
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