Sample Course - Photography
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    • Module 1 >
      • Rules and Expectations
      • Stealth
      • Principles of Art
      • Focal Point and Rule of Thirds
      • Assignment 1
      • Quiz 1
    • Module 2 >
      • Lighting
      • Assignment 2
    • Module 3 >
      • Perspective
      • Assignment 3
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      • Background, Foreground and Tension
      • Assignment 4
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  • Home
  • Syllabus
  • Modules
    • Module 1 >
      • Rules and Expectations
      • Stealth
      • Principles of Art
      • Focal Point and Rule of Thirds
      • Assignment 1
      • Quiz 1
    • Module 2 >
      • Lighting
      • Assignment 2
    • Module 3 >
      • Perspective
      • Assignment 3
      • Bonus Assignment
    • Module 4 >
      • Background, Foreground and Tension
      • Assignment 4
  • Assignments
  • Submissions
  • Gradebook
  • Community
  • Contact
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We hear a lot about focal point, and you may be wondering what people mean by that term.

Quite simply, the focal point is the place in the shot that your eye wants to go to first. There are ways for you as an artist to guide the eye of the viewer exactly where you need it to go; these tricks are dictated by your composition arrangement.

The following site has some ideas on how to add a focal point when taking photos of landscape: Landscape Focal Point (Links to an external site.)

But perhaps the easiest and most accessible way to take a strong shot, with a clear focal point, is to use the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is a theory dictating how an image should be composed in order to create an aesthetically pleasing result. it is an invisible grid you should keep in mind when creating your shot. In all honesty, it’s more of a guideline than an actual rule.

The principle involves splitting an image into nine equal parts. First, you draw two lines vertically (in your mind, don’t whip out a pencil) to form three evenly-spaced sections. Then draw two more lines horizontally. You now have nine equal-sized squares.

For the most visually arresting photo, your subject or subjects should land where any two lines cross.

That gives you four options for focus in one composition.

To give you an idea of what the Rule of Thirds looks like, here are 9 great examples taken by independent photographers (examples and descriptions taken from Creative Market):

Chia on a Wooden Spoon

All those tiny pieces of chia seed come into perfect focus in the bottom right section of the grid with the straying seeds drifting off in all directions. The spoon handle also follows the grid line.
Picture
Bike Ride Close Up

Besides the wonderful use of color here, the bike rider is blurred  around the main area of focus: her gear shifter and the right edge of her hand.
Picture
Close Up

When it comes to people, if you want the focus on the face , you’ll want to place the eyes on one of the cross sections to create the greatest impact. The result is intimate and intriguing.
Picture
Foamy Latte on the Edge of a Chair

The precarious location of this steamy cup of Joe serves as a pedestal to the coffee’s monument. Coffee is often an essential tool in any artist’s collection, so it makes sense it should be honored with the Rule.
Picture
king Coffee Latte Barista

Coffee again: it’s a very popular subject for artists, as the beverage and its rituals are rich in texture and visual interest. This picture (Links to an external site.) has many more elements, but the action of pouring the frothed milk is clearly the main subject.
Picture
Tomayto Tomahto

Fun to say and fun to eat, this image captures the ruby red ripeness of fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes by piling them up near the top and bottom left side cross sections.
Picture
Song Festival

The subject doesn’t have to be perfectly placed in the crosscut, as in this picture which has only the edge of the brightly purple headband in the aforementioned sector. However, it is the main element (the color also suggests this), so the Rule still applies.
Picture
Macaroons

The delicate sprinkles of the blue confection’s shell are the first thing the eye takes in before moving to his yellow buddy with black seeds, and then over to the stack of other vibrantly hued treats, thanks to the Rule of Thirds.
Picture
Cup of Tea #1

The yellow lemon slice floats delicately in the center of the teacup, drawing the eye not only because of its color, but also because it sits at the bottom right cross section of the guide.
Picture

Put it to the test

Now that you have learned about focal point and about the rule of thirds, it's time to put that knowledge into action. Go ahead and finish the assignment for this module by clicking on the link below!

Assignment 1

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