When taking a picture, photographers attempt to draw people's attention toward a particular aspect of the scene by focusing on that aspect, and leaving the rest of the image slightly blurry. This is one example of the Gestalt principle of

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The principle of figure-ground states that our brains perceive objects in a scene as either the central figure or the background. In photography, blurring the background and focusing on one aspect creates a clear figure-ground distinction, drawing the viewer's attention to the focused element.

When Taking a Picture, Photographers Attempt to Draw People's Attention