By Christine Peppler
As an amateur, most people will pick up the camera and hold it in the typical lateral
position for nearly every shot. This "landscape" orientation often produces very
acceptable images but in some instances, turning the camera on end for a
"portrait" shot is the better choice. For those with very limited experience
with their digital camera the decision as to which orientation to use can be confusing.
Certainly, photographers can get quite creative and take shots of people at a variety
of angles to provide greater interest. Experimentation is not to be discouraged. However,
for more reliable results, the traditional orientation of portrait or landscape is
typically recommended for beginners. Which way the digital camera should be oriented
generally depends on one of two things: the subject's position or the movement of the
subject.
One of the basic rules of photography is to focus on the subject and to reduce the
appearance of other items in the frame which will distract from the subject within the
image. Sometimes orienting the camera differently will allow the photographer to eliminate
the distractions without stepping in closer or cropping the image later. For instance, if
the subject is a person standing, most often the orientation of the camera should be
portrait. This will result in fewer distracting details showing up to the left and right
of the person standing in the picture. However, if this same person is reclining, the
orientation of the picture should generally be landscape. This will eliminate more of the
dead space or distracting items from above or below the subject.
Another example would be in nature shots. If the subject of focus is a single tree, a
portrait orientation would be effective in reducing some of the extraneous objects to the
left and right of the subject. On the other hand, if the subject to be captured is a
gradually sloping mountain or the front and side of a covered bridge, a landscape
orientation would be more appropriate.
The movement of the subject is the other factor that should be considered when
determining which way the camera should be held. If the subject is moving left to right, a
landscape orientation is more often the optimal choice but if movement is upward or
downward, portrait orientation often works best.
For example, if the subject of a picture is to be a dog walking along a line of rail
road tracks and the photographer wishes to capture the movement looking down the track off
into the horizon, a portrait orientation best demonstrates the movement. However, in the
same scene, if the aim is to show the animal moving horizontally, versus off into the
horizon, a landscape orientation would be preferable. In this case, it is not only the
subject but the direction of movement of that subject that determines how the image will
be best captured.
As with any rule, there are instances where these traditional guidelines can be
violated with great results. However, in most instances adhering to these guidelines will
allow the beginning photographer to capture images with their digital camera that they
will be proud to display.
Readers can learn more about using and selecting a digital camera through information
available at the author's online home electronics store, homemedias.info. Visitors to her
site can also shop for products or participate in the consumer forum.
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