‘Center of Interest’ a must to keep the viewer focused

After one has mastered the art of lighting, composition and depth of field one needs to look for the ‘Center of Interest’ or “Point of Interest’, in their images they are going to picture. Each picture should have only one principal idea, topic, or center of interest to which the viewer's eyes are attracted. Subordinate elements within the picture must support and focus attention on the principal feature. A picture without a dominant center of interest or one with more than one dominant center of interest is puzzling to a viewer which will confuse the viewer. A photographer usually has at his or her disposal many factors or elements that can be used and arranged within the picture area to direct attention to the primary idea of the picture. Some of these elements are lines, shapes, human figures, tone, and texture.

Human figures attract attention more strongly than almost any other subject matter, unless they are the main object of the photograph. When people are subordinate elements within the picture and they are looking in a direction other than at the camera, the viewer’s attention is directed from the people to what they are looking at, which should be the center of interest; for example, when people are grouped around a piece of machinery that is the center of interest of the picture, have them look at the machine, rather than the camera. When people look at the camera and therefore at the viewer of the picture, the viewer tends to return their gaze by looking directly back into their eyes. When they are not the intended point of interest, we miss the statement and purpose of the picture.

Photograph Courtesy - Anantha Subramanyam K. DNA