‘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

OP Sharma's gift to photographers across the globe

Today, the world celebrates World Photography Day, but few actually know where the seeds of the day were sown. In fact, it was an Indian photographer based in New Delhi, OP Sharma (fondly known as OP) who was the man instrumental in getting over 150 photography clubs and associations across the globe to celebrate August 19, as the birthday of photography.

All through the year, all over the world, holidays and birthdays are celebrated. However, no one ever designated a day for photography; until OP came along.
From research work and entertainment, to documentation and art, photography is everywhere. World Photography Day was launched in 1991 by the Indian International Photographic Council (IIPC) of which OP Sharma is the founder member. Later, in 2002-03 the Photographic Society of America (PSA) with its multitude of members, across the world, joined in and also started to observe August 19 as Photography Day.

The first official photograph ever taken was on August 19, 1839. Photography was arguably one of the most important inventions of the 19th Century. Had this unique medium not been invented, our world would have been much darker than it is today. Let us not forget this fact and let World Photography Day see the light!
As for the news photographers working in modern day newspapers, their task is often tedious, sometimes life-threatening (as in covering a war zone, or tracking a flu pandemic), but it is also always rewarding.

The photographer stakes his life on every image; especially the one that you, the reader, see every morning.
Photography as grown manifold over the past 170 years, and today every family in the world has a picture adorning a wall or a shelf in their home. The medium is such that everyone can become professional, thanks to the advent of the digital camera.

The future will see further enhancements in photographic technology and technique, but whatever it may bring, one thing will remain unchanged: The emotions one feels when one looks at a photograph. So this World Photography Day, sit back, take out an old family album and let your mind wander through its memories. After all that’s what photography is all about: Capturing history as it happens.
On a footnote it is important to stress that photography is an art, and as such, it’s high time the government of India recognized it as a fine art. After all, capturing emotions, takes a level of skill.