What’s the Point?

When I have the opportunity to go out into God’s creation with my camera equipment, I try my best to go to an area at an appropriate time of year and in optimal conditions. (Optimal for the photograph, not necessarily for the photographer.) However, getting to the “right” location, at the “right” time, and in the “right” light is only the beginning.

The next step is to find a composition I think will make a worthwhile photograph. A key part of this visual process is deciding on the primary subject – the area of the image I want the viewer’s eyes drawn to.

For example, in the image below, I used a very narrow depth of field
to draw attention to the in-focus bloom in the upper-middle portion of the frame.

In this photograph, the trunk and arm of one saguaro cactus are used to frame another saguaro.

And, one more:

In the above shot, the shadow of a Joshua tree outside the picture
acts as a leading line pointing towards a second Joshua tree.

These and other techniques are employed to get all the elements of a photograph to support what is important – the focal point.

Focal points can also play an important role in our lives, helping to guide the use of our time, energy, and resources. Recently, my wife and I visited the headquarters of Pure Flix, the Christian media company. In 2015 Russell Wolfe, one of the three founders, died of ALS. Mr. Wolfe often offered this advice to his colleagues, “Keep the main thing the main thing. Christ and Christ alone.” This simple but profound statement is now on one wall in the headquarter’s lobby and provides a focal point for the effort of the company’s employees.

Someone once asked Jesus, “Hey, what’s the most important thing?” (My paraphrase of Mark 12:28b.) Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

As a Christian, this should be my focal point.