Make it Focal - Part 3 - Size

In both of the previous posts, the examples demonstrate another valuable feature for creating a focal point - size.  The physical size of the photo matters.  If there is a picture that is larger than the others on the page, it will often draw the eye and can be a very easy way of helping to create a focal point.

However, the picture itself doesn't HAVE to be larger than the others to make use of size to create a focal point!  Look at this example.

The focal picture is actually the same size as another one on the page, but it is matted to make it appear larger. If you go back and look at the layout in the post "Make it Focal - Part 1" you will see that I used this technique there.  In fact, I used an extra large mat with added journaling and really increased the appearance of size for the focal picture.

Often when thinking about creating a focal point, the more techniques used the better.  While size is important and can make or break a focal, I've found that I must be particularly careful about relying on size alone to create a focal point.  I must think about other things too.  For instance, bright colors will draw the eye, as will people in the picture.  If the smaller photo has bright colors and people and the larger one doesn't, you may discover that the larger picture is NOT the one that draws the eye!

Toward the end of this series, I'll show you a page where the smaller of two pictures is actually the focal point. In the meantime what, besides size, can you see that helped create the focal point in these pictures?