Focus Point & Focal Length

Focus Point.

A focus point is the first part of a photograph that attracts the viewers eye. There are many ways to enhance this focal point and make it more obvious. Some of these are:

• Position, it must be prominent (this is easily achieved by using the rule of thirds).
• Focus, learning to blur out other aspects to make your subject the main item.
• Blur, using shutter speeds to blur other parts of the image if your focal point is still and other parts are moving.
• Size, making the focal point larger can help make it prominent.
• Colour, using interesting colours can set your image apart from its background.
• Shape, simply contrasting textures and shapes can make an image stand out.

Focal Length.

When parallel rays of light strike a lens focused at infinity, they converge to a point called the focal point. The focal length of the lens is then defined as the distance from the middle of the lens to its focal point.

The focal length of a lens is usually displayed on the lens barrel. Pictured below is a Nikon lens with a focal length of 50-mm. 

Here are some examples of different focal lengths in pictures of a manor.