Project 14 - Vertical and Horizontal Frames

For this project I had to shoot 20 photos using a vertical frame and then reshoot the same object/scene using a horizontal frame.

When I shoot I tend always to orientate the camera so that it best suits the subject, and will use both horizontal and vertical framing if the subject does not obviously lend itself to one or the other naturally. 

During this project I did indeed notice that, when shooting vertically I did somethime position the main subject slightly below centre in the frame.  It was also sometimes difficult to get a satisfactory image when the subject needed to be shot either vertically or horizontally and I was shooting the opposite way.  I also found that some subjects lent themselves to being shot in either format, producing a different "feel" each way. 

 

These poppies are an example of being able to use either orientation.  When shot vertically the poppies act as a leading line in the image, drawing the eye to the top of the picture and beyond.  In the horizontal format the eye is left to wander over the poppies and unripe wheat.

Again for this subject (ripening wheat) both horizontal and vertical framing is suitable.  The narrower vertical framing ensures the abstract pattern created by the light is prominent, and is therefore my favourite image.

                               

Because of the shape of the military vehicle, it naturally suits a horizontal frame.  I was able to fill the horizontal frame with the vehicle.  In the vertical frame, the vehicle is less prominent and the tree is far more noticeable.  The vehicle is positioned on the centre line and lower half of the image.  The horizontal framing looks "right" to me - although if there was foreground interest in front of the vehicle on the grass, then vertical framing would seem appropriate.

                                                

                                    

These images were taken at a small air display.  I liked the pilots helmet hanging from the central wing above the cockpit, and his headset resting on the side.  Ideally I would have liked the plastic bag NOT to have been there!  The horizontal framing gives more of a sense of what the image is about - you can see more of the aircraft.  The helmet is central in the image and the wings and struts are balanced in the image.  The vertical image doesn't have the same balance.  The helmet is below centre and there is not much wing within the frame.

                                                   

                                     

This is a statue of Wellington in Norwich city centre.  The vertical image suits the shape of the subject, and I could have included less tree in the background to make the statue even more prominent.  The subject is positioned centrally ion the frame and the image is balanced nicely.  In the horizontal frame I have positioned the subject slightly right of centre to try and make the compostition more interesting.  With this subject central in a horizontal frame, it looked as if the picture had been taken with no thought to composition.  I like the amount of tree that I was able to include, and the statue is still obviously the subject, helped by the lighter green against the background.

                                               

                                

This is Norwich Cathedral. The tall spire lends itself to a vertical frame.  The horizontal frame is not a good view in my opinion - I had to zoom out to get all the spire in and this has necessitated me including more foreground than I would have liked.  I do like how the trees and bushes are beginning to form a natural frame around the cathedral though.

                                          

                             

This pillar box is near the cathedral in Norwich.  Again the shape lends itself to vertical framing.  However, when using the horizontal framing I again set the subject a little off centre, this time to the left, and it has resulted in a much more interesting image.  I had to zoom out, but this time the stonework of the wall behind the pillar box has made for a more interesting background.  The vertical frame is simply a record shot of a pillar box, but the horizontal framing has given a more interesting composition, and is my favourite.

                                 

                                                

These are taken of Norwich Cathedral.I am not happy with the composition of either shot !  The horizontal shot could be improved by making more use of the natural frame of the window through which I was shooting.  I think for the vertical frame I could have shot from a lower viewpoint and included more of the spire (you can just see the base of the spire at the top of the picture).  I think that the horizontal frame would work better if I had concentrated more on the composition.

                                     

                                               

This is the fuel pump at our local airfield.  Although it should be easier to shoot this one vertically, I prefer the composition of the horizontal frame which has included less foreground clutter.  I wanted to include the handle and tubes to the left, which was easy to do horizontally, but when shooting vertically I had to zoom out and thereby included  things I didn't want.  Cropping would sort this out.

                               

                                              

This was taken at our local airfield.  I like both of these for different reasons.  The horizontal framing give a nice record shot of the 'plane.  It fits well in the frame and is clearly taken in the context of an airfield.  The vertical framing introduces an interesting skyscape, with clouds acting as leading lines though the image.  The sky takes up half of the frame, and the 'plane is placed below the centre of the image, just cutting the horizon.  Because of the sky I prefer this image.

                                             

                                 

My son's bike in the yard.  Surprisingly the vertical frame works better I think.  This is probably because the shot is not "side on" to the bike, and therefore the shape is more vertical than it would have been.  The horizontal frame includes too much other clutter.

                                                    

                                     

The vertical shot works better in this image of a plant pot in my garden.  It is below the centre line again (like many of the subjects of my vertical images).  

Poppy taken in a field.  I think both these images work well.  In the horizontal frame, more of the flower is showing and this suits the frame, but in the vertical frame, more of the stem is on view.  In fact it extends to the centre of the image.  I remember while I was taking this series of pictures that I thought that both orientations would work.  I like them both.

                                                  

For portraits I try and shoot both horizontally and vertically.  I tend to think that if the subject is looking at the camera then a vertical frame often works better, but if they are looking away from the camera then a horizontal frame allows somewhere for the gaze to go.  In the pictures above, the horizontal frame is definitely better as the little boy is not engaging with the camera at all.  Even though he is not looking out of the window, the horizontal frame allows the viewer to see his reflection in the window, and you are left with a feeling that he will lift his eyes and look into the garden at any moment.

In the vertical frame above the girl is looking directly at the camera, but in the horizontal frame she is looking away and the spare space to the right is allowing her gaze somewhere to go.

However in these two images the girl is not looking at the camera but they are both appealing images, showing that there are no hard and fast rules.  In the vertical frame the subject is again lower in the frame than in the horizontal.  I like both these images, and so did the family - they bought both !

                                             

                                      

These are pictures of a groyne on Brancaster beach in Norfolk.  In the vertical frame, the groyne is placed mostly slightly below centre.  In the horizontal frame I again off-set the subject to allow for better composition.  As in previous similar images (statue, pillar box) I prefer the horizontal frame.

                                                          

                                                

These are pictures of my younger son walking away from the camera along a lane in Norfolk.  The vertical frame mirrors the lane and gives a sense of depth to the image.  There are several leading lines in both the images - road, grass, white flower in the hedgerow - and these lines are more effective in the vertical image.

While shooting the project I deliberately tried not to look for tall things just to make the vertical image easier.  I have noticed that I placed the main subject lower in the frame in many of the verticals which is something I hadn't thought about before.  I also found that although I could shoot most subjects successfully vertically, with a bit of thought for composition I could make a much better image using a horizontal frame - I'm thinking about the pillar box particularly.  I was surprised that I liked the 'plane image with a vertical orientation so much - I think the clouds helped that a lot.  My natural instinct would always have been to shoot that kind of image horizontally.  And of course for many subjects both orientations will work, so it is still worth at least trying both.