Make It Focal - Part 8

Today we'll look at a page where the focal point is actually smaller than another photo on the page. Based on focal point discussions the last few weeks, can you figure out why the smaller one is the focal?

The challenge:  Conflicting focal points.  I had expected the largest picture to be the focal - but as I started arranging pictures on the page, it became clear quickly that it had a serious rival for that spot.  Can you spot why this was so?  Thinking back to the very first in this series, you can see that the subject (in this case the zebras) is much larger in the focal photo than in the larger picture.  Also, the lighting is such that they are much brighter as well.  This naturally draws the eye, but initially the larger picture also did, creating a bit of a conflict between the two for supremacy.  I needed to help make one draw the eye more clearly than the other.  I decided to make the smaller one the focal point, figuring that if it had nearly won the battle despite having a strike against it (size) I could work with it to make it the clear leader.

The solution: I used the techniques we've discussed in the last few weeks to bring increased attention to the focal picture.  Can you spot what I did?  Some of them are:

Decrease the attention the large photo draws:

• I made the photo visually smaller by placing the title on top of it.
• I made it recede further by having the focal photo sit partially on top of it.

Increase the attention to the focal photo:

• I double matted the photo, making it larger.
• One of the colors used to mat the photo is a brighter color, bringing more attention to that area of the page.
• I placed the photo at an angle. This contrasted with the horizontal lines of the other photos to increase interest in the focal photo.
• I placed the focal photo in the "sweet spot".  It is centrally located up and down. From side to side, the main image in the photo is located right about where the 1/3 vertical line would be.

You'll notice that we've added another point to consider with focal photos - layers.  Your focal photo will do best if it does not have other photos on top of it.  Placing a photo on top of another one places it in a more prominent position.

Another thing that could have been done here would have been to place embellishments near the focal point.  Embellishments draw the eye, so you can really create focal confusion if you don't have embellishments by your focal photo, but DO have them by other photos.  

I hope this series on creating a focal point has proven useful.  I'd appreciate hearing from you about what was particularly helpful, and/or other layout tips you have found useful.