Exercise: Vertical and Horizontal Frames
Take 20 photographs in vertical (portrait) format and 20 photographs in horizontal (landscape) format. Attempt to ensure that both formats are of the same scene. Compare the ‘pairs’ of images and note that each scene can be fitted into both formats fairly successfully, but some scenes suit one format better and format selection is really mostly a matter of a habit.
- Image 40: f/8 ISO 100 1/60 65mm
- Image 39: f/8 ISO 100 1/60 50mm
- Image 38: f/8 ISO 100 1/20 50mm
- Image 37: f/8 ISO 100 1/30 50mm
- Image 36: f/8 ISO 800 1/500 44mm
- Image 35: f/8 ISO 800 1/350 44mm
- Image 34: f/8 ISO 800 1/180 28mm
- Image 33: f/8 ISO 800 1/125 95mm
- Image 32: f/8 ISO 800 1/180 105mm
- Image 31: f/8 ISO 800 1/180 105mm
- Image 30: f/8 ISO 100 1/20 56mm
- Image 29: f/8 ISO 100 1/30 56mm
- Image 28: f/8 ISO 100 1/30 70mm
- Image 27: f/8 ISO 100 1/20 70mm
- Image 26: f/8 ISO 100 1/45 135mm
- Image 25: f/8 ISO 100 1/45 135mm
- Image 24: f/8 ISO 100 1/20 112mm
- Image 23: f/8 ISO 100 1/30 135mm
- Image 22: f/10 ISO 400 1/45 28mm
- Image 21: f/10 ISO 400 1/30 28mm
- Image 20: f/11 ISO 100 1/15 23mm
- Image 19: f/11 ISO 100 1/20 18mm
- Image 18: f/4.5 ISO 100 1/60 29mm
- Image 17: f/3.5 ISO 100 1/60 21mm
- Image 16: f/10 ISO 100 1/90 34mm
- Image 15: f/10 ISO 100 1/60 23mm
- Image 14: f/8 ISO 100 1/90 29mm
- Image 13: f/8 ISO 100 1/90 18mm
- Image 12: f/4 ISO 100 1/350 29mm
- Image 11: f/4 ISO 100 1/350 29mm
- Image 10: f/3.5 ISO 100 1/180 21mm
- Image 9: f/3.5 ISO 100 1/180 21mm
- Image 8: f/3.5 ISO 100 1/350 18mm
- Image 7: f/3.5 ISO 100 1/350 18mm
- Image 6: f/4.5 ISO 100 1/60 46mm
- Image 5: f/4.5 ISO 100 1/60 46mm
- Image 4: f/3.5 ISO 100 1/350 18mm
- Image 3: f/3.5 ISO 100 1/350 18mm
- Image 2: f/3.5 ISO 100 1/250 18mm
- Image 1: f/3.5 ISO 100 1/250 18mm
Exercise Learning
I found this exercise quite easy to complete without thinking about the orientation of the viewfinder and looking for images that fitted the vertical (portrait) format better.
I also would not agree that the choice of orientation is just a matter of habit. Although the image required can be obtained from both vertical and horizontal (landscape) format, the fact is that the perspective changes as does the need to crop images to make them the same. By having to crop, the section of the image required has to magnify and the sharpness could therefore become compromised. By using the most suitable orientation for the photograph being taken reduces the necessity for large amounts of cropping and possible sharpness compromise.
My observation from this exercise is that where a major element of the image required is tall by comparison to the rest, then vertical (portrait) orientation is best. Where this condition is not met, then horizontal (landscape) orientation is better.
I have chosen the images which I think show this most clearly: –
BEST
5 6
12 11
16 15
17 18
22 21
23 24
28 27
33 34
36 35
40 39