Taking Vertical Or Horizontal Photos - Which Is Best?

One common characteristic of newbie nature photographers is the tendency to shoot every image in a horizontal layout. That is, they hold the camera in the same orientation it would have if it was placed on a counter or a shelf. This is the most familiar way that people interact with cameras and it becomes almost instinctual to just shoot everything they see in the same format.

But many scenes or subjects do not lend themselves to a horizontal view nearly as well as they do to a vertical viewpoint. For instance, many landscape shots will be in horizontal mode since we often try to get as much of the landscape in the shot as we can and the horizon is horizontal anyway (pun intended).

However, many bird images are better taken in a vertical format instead to get as much of the bird's body in the shot as possible. Flowers can often benefit from being shot in a vertical position too.

Of course, there are no hard and fast rules here, just as there aren't with almost everything in photographic art, but the point is that the next time you pick up a camera, ask yourself whether the subject or scene you are aiming at will be best revealed in a horizontal or vertical position in the image you are trying to create. Maybe try it both ways and see what looks best to you in the viewfinder.

Here are two very different bird shots that I took recently. One favors a more horizontal layout while the other benefits from a vertical viewpoint:

An american oystercatcher at rest on the beach

A snowy egret in a standing pose on a windy day

As you can see the oystercatcher in the first photo is laying down and the body shape of the bird lends itself to using a horizontal format. But the snowy egret is standing, and being a rather tall bird anyway, it makes much more sense to use a vertical format in this case.

One of the easiest ways to improve the artistic appearance of your photos is to occasionally turn the camera on it's side and shoot vertically. Why not give it a try soon?

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www.duanelipham.com
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Use Back-lighting For Dramatic Photos

So much of photography is about lighting. The kind of light, the quality of the light, the direction of the light, etc. Indeed, light is the brush that we use to paint our images.

In many cases, having the main light source behind the photographer and facing the subject of the photograph is a very desirable thing. Doing so can eliminate shadows that diminish detail in the dark parts of the image and at the same time give life to colors. But frontal lighting can also be rather bland and ordinary too.

If drama and mood are what you are looking for instead, it's time to start experimenting with the light you have. Try side-lighting your subject and you will see a whole different look suddenly appear. But if you are shooting flowers, back-lighting the subject can really make your image pop even more.

This is because of the effect that light has when viewed through the thin petals of a flower. It almost makes them glow. It gives them an ethereal quality that is very inviting to the eye of the viewer.

Here is an example of a flower I shot recently using back-lighting provided by the best light source possible, sunlight:

Red and yellow rose back-lit by the sun

In the image above, notice how the sunlight is caught by the yellow parts of the flower petals. It almost looks as if they are aglow. The effect of the sunlight is even evident in the leaves of the flower as well.

I have other shots of this same flower that uses more side-lighting instead. And even though those images are fine in their own way, this image is pure magic and the main reason for that is simply because I placed the sun behind the flower.

Of course, you have to be careful with back-lighting that you don't include too much of the sunlight in the shot and overwhelm your main subject or even create annoying flare in the image. But when used properly, back-lighting can add a whole new dimension to your photography, especially when you are shooting flowers.

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See my latest nature and wildlife images at:
www.duanelipham.com
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