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...
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