Focal Point

Focal point is the exact point at which the camera is focused at maximum sharpness. When looking into the viewfinder it is usually marked in the center with either a circle or a set of brackets. It is also the point at which the eye of the viewer looking at the photo should travel to first. It is what the photographer wants the viewer to look at and understand. It is not necessary to place the focal point dead center of the composition, nor is it desirable at all times. According to http://photoinf.com/General/Wendy_Folse/Composition_Part_III_Perspective_Focal_Point_Cropping.htm , this website also talks about the perspective.

In this photo, the focal point is the plant as it is the thing that stands out the most and also the background of the picture is dry sand and there are usually no plants on deserts but here there is which makes the viewer look at it straight away.
Some times photographers decide to make the focal point sharp and the rest of the picture blury and out of focus to make the focal point more obvious like here.

 Here the focal point is the couple, as what it seems the background but as the rest of the picture is out of focus it makes them the focal point and the thing that the viewer looks at first. The focal point does not always have to be in the middle, because if it was all photos would look the same, plain and boring. It also does not have to be in the front of the photo but if it is further away it would be good to make the rest of the picture out of focus so then it it obvious that it is the focal point, ^ perfect example^.
Also i think that it's important that photographs should not be cluttered as that takes out the focal point and the viewer would not be able to recognize what is the focal point. I think that there should not be more than 1 main focal point as it take out the dramatics of the photo.


http://www.digital-photography-school.com/using-focal-points-in-photography this website tells you what you can do to make the focal point in your photographs more obvious.
http://www.photography.tutorialsstock.com/Composition/Focal-Point-Importance/Photography-tutorials-2047.html this talks about the focal point importance.