Square Box?

Why do I get a square box in the middle of my frame?
Daniel D’Souza, via email

That square box is a focusing point. Most cameras today have multiple focusing points. The box in the middle of the viewfinder or LCD is one of those. The camera will assume that the part of the frame on which the box appears is where the main subject is. Thus, the subject within the box will be focused upon, and will look sharp.

Photograph/ Samira Pillai

Many people make the mistake of releasing the shutter and shooting directly without focusing. If you observe carefully, the camera click button has two steps. The first step is to focus by half clicking the shutter release button and then second is to capture the image by depressing the button all the way.