April has come to an end, and with it another month of taking a photo each day. The project continues to be an exercise in creativity, and I continue to learn as I go. This month along with exploring color, light and emotion--and stumbling on a few unexpected surprises--I found myself thinking about the concept of focal point.
Focal point: a.) a center of activity, attraction, or attention; b.) a point of concentration. "Why is the focal point important?" the people at N-sane Art ask. "Without a focal point, a spectator will lose interest quickly because he does not know where to look or what part is most interesting."
"A focal point," Zahid Javali, Wordstart, says, "is important because when you look at an image, your eye generally needs a 'resting place' or something of interest to hold it. Without a focal point, people will just glance at your pictures before moving on to the next one without paying any attention to them."
These thoughts reference the subject of visual arts--but what about the importance of a focal point in the art of the written word? Interestingly, Richard Ridley, at CreateSpaceBlogger, writes on what he considers is his focal point: the crucial scene. He says, "I'm working on a new book at the moment that clued me in on how I approach story...In writing this new book, I realized that one of the first things I do after completing the early pages is map out the most crucial scene of the book. Everything I've written to that point is the foundation for the scene that will define the story. It is the flashpoint of my centralized theme...If I should get off track while writing the book, I can right myself by keeping that scene as my focal point."
Ah, different branches of art dovetail together in this idea of focal point. I've learned something this month, all because I'm carrying my camera with me.
On to May...let's see what develops in the new month ahead!
Here's my April gallery. Hope you enjoy...
Previous Galleries:
Love the gallery! I should try this concept, but instead of taking a photo a day, I'll photoshop a photo each day. Using photoshop more is my new goal, and in my mailbox tomorrow are two books to help me. :D
ReplyDeleteI use Save the Cat for plotting and it enables me to do the same thing that Richard recommends.
Thanks, Stina!
ReplyDeleteAh, Photoshop... My daughter-in-law tried to teach me some of the program's fundamentals, but I haven't gotten too far with it. I'm guessing you'll do great things with it, though. Anyone who has visited your blog has seen what great photography you already do :-)
Thanks, too, for the reminder of Save the Cat. The book's on my shelf, and it's high time I opened it up...
Beautiful photos - again! I can't believe your dedication to get this done month after month. I especially love the kite photo. Where is it going? Where has it been? So many possibilities for stories!
ReplyDeletePeggy
What a beautiful collection of photos! And I love the idea of finding your "crucial scene" and having it be the focal point. I've been doing a lot of thinking about the theme of my WIP (generally, I don't go into a plot with a specific theme planned, but one or two always emerge during revisions), and I'll incorporate this post into my thought process. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures, they are super.
ReplyDeleteThese are all great images. Love the green grass and the picture of the hilly road.
ReplyDeleteThese are wonderful pictures, and I know what you're saying about focal point. I tend to take "scatter shot" pictures and then I have to (hopefully) zero in on the focal point via Adobe Photoshop.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting about the focal point scene of a book. I wonder which one that might be? Seems like it would be the final scene, but it could also be the inciting incident ... Hmm. One launches the story, and the other concludes it. Which one is more important?
I like the whole idea of a focal point, even for our writing. Thanks so much for this great info. I am sure May will hold many wonderful photo opportunities!
ReplyDeleteGreat pics!!!! I love how photography can inspire us in so many levels and how you always connect it with writing!
ReplyDeleteAnother wonderful album! What a gift you have there!
ReplyDeleteHope you're doing well!