Photo tips #1: Straight horizons
Here’s the gist of it: Trees grow straight up, and horizons are always level. All you have to do is to match your photo with this reality. But, it is amazingly difficult at first. I remember it - I used to have tilted horizons and I honestly didn’t notice it until someone pointed it out to me. I started paying attention and after a while it becomes automatic - you always check for a tilt at the post processing stage. What I’m saying is that I am still not always able to take a picture which is perfectly level, not even when I use my tiny bubble level attached to the hot shoe. But as long as you can spot the tilt afterwards, and fix it, everything’s fine.
In the above example, there are two ways to spot the tilt. For the first, the shoreline is leaning to the left (white line). For the second, the reflection of the trees do not match with the actual trees (red line). There is less than 1 degree of rotation, but it is very obvious. After a quick rotation clockwise:
Then there are the cases where the image seems to tilt, but is in fact straight. I hate those. For example, you’re shooting a lake scenery, but you’re not at a straight angle to the opposing shore. The result is a shoreline that appears to tilt, although everything else in the image is straight. I normally trash these images - it is enough for me that the image gives an impression of tilting, it really doesn’t make any difference to me that it doesn’t.
I think the best thing to do is to make a habit on checking for a tilt in every image. After a while, you will notice even a slight tilt without using rulers and then you’ll be wondering, like I do, how you ever managed to miss a tilt!
No commentsPhoto tips series
There are plenty of photo guides, instructions, tutorials etc on the Internet. I thought I would add mine. In the coming weeks, I will write my thoughts about some basics of photography, maybe some beginners will find something of use in them. If you already are a better photographer, please send some advice my way. Short from changing everything. Thanks.Anyway, anything I will say someone else has already said better so you might want to read these instead of anything of mine:
- Beginning photography tips
- Silverlight Photography Tutorials
- Photography Composition Articles
- Kodak’s Taking Great Pictures
- Digital Nature Photography Tips and Articles
The list goes on and on and on… Google is your best friend!
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