FOCAL POINT

"The phrase "focal point" can mean a variety of things, but literally it is talking about focus. It refers to something that brings focus to itself, is a point where someone wants focus to be brought or where focus is being gathered. Its exact meaning changes in different contexts."

 

I chose this photo because the focal point really interests me. This is by Vee Speers from The birthday party. The girl in black is the focus point and it really draws attention as she looks mysterious.

http://digital-photography-school.com/using-focal-points-in-photography#ixzz2gMgvQMEg  is a really good help sight and it gave me these tips;

Position – Place it in a prominent position – you might want to start with the rule of thirds for some ideas.

Focus – Learn to use Depth of Field to blur out other aspects in front or behind your focal point.

Blur – If you really want to get tricky you might want to play with slower shutter speeds if your main subject is still and things around it are moving.

Size – making your focal point large is not the only way to make it prominent – but it definitely can help.

Color – using contrasting colors can also be a way of setting your point of interest apart from it’s surroundings.

Shape – similarly contrasting shapes and textures can make a subject stand out – especially patterns that are repeated around a subject.

This sight is really good as it is clear and easy read.

COMPOSITION

composition in Photography from Mariamasfour

DEFINITION;
"Composition, the act of composing the image in the viewfinder, is a visual process of organizing the elements and individual details of a scene into a balanced and pleasing arrangement. Because what one person finds pleasing, someone else will not, composition is largely a matter of personal taste"


TIPS/HOW TO; 

Emphasizing and highlighting patterns will make striking shots.
Symmetry gives a good point of interest, but without a strong point of interest the photo can be a bit predictable, experiment with symmetry and see whats best.

http://digital-photography-school.com/5-elements-of-composition-in-photography Is a really good help sight for rules and tips, it helped me a lot as it is clear and set out well.

 

FIRST ANALYSIS

FACTUAL: Ralph John Perou is a British fashion, music and portrait photographer, born May 1970. His photographs are striking and unique. He appeared as a judge on "Make Me A Supermodel" and was part of the series "Dirty Sexy Things"

CONTEXT: This is one of his many famous portraits, we know this as it is from a portrait collection.

TECHNICAL: I think this was created in a studio, against a white background, using a black and white filter on a digital camera.

AESTHETIC: I love that this photo is in black and white as I think it creates an element of mystery and makes the man the only thing to concentrate on because you aren't distracted by bright colours. I like how we cant see the models eyes because it makes the photo more interesting.