Ideally, when we take a photo, we want the viewer’s eyes to go directly to the subject of the photo, so the individual isn’t left wondering what the heck the picture’s about.
In this photo, the focus (literally) was placed on the marble in the front by: throwing the other two out of focus; placing it to the side of the frame (also known as rule of thirds); and positioning it in front of the other two so that it appears larger. Of course, these are only three of many different techniques that you can use.
For those of you with point & shoot cameras (i.e. you don’t have manual focus), you’ll need to do the following if your subject is not in the center of the frame for the picture:
1. Aim your camera at the subject so it’s in the center of the frame.
2. Hold the button half way down. This will lock the focus so the camera doesn’t try to refocus on something else when you move it.
3. While holding the button half way down, reposition the camera so that the subject is in the desired location.
4. Push the button all the way to take the photo.
Pretty easy, huh? And yes, the same techniques can be used in portraits.
Hmmm. This has given me an idea for a future writerly post.