Art of Photography: Project 14

This was quite a simple project, to gain more experience with using a vertical frame (holding the camera vertically) as opposed to a horizontal frame which is generally used more often. The task was to take two versions of each photograph, one horizontal and one vertical, and learn about the differences to composition this would make. Hopefully this would lead to being more aware and willing to use a vertical frame more often when it can aid photography.

For me this was the case. I more often used a horizontal frame and might not have considered a vertical one except in obvious situations. From doing the project I have learnt that on many more occasions than I might have thought, the vertical frame can produce good images and compositions, where previously I wouldn't have considered it.

I believe I have learnt the main goal of this project, which is to be more mindful of the vertical frame and consider both orientations and how they affect composition when planning an image, and which will work best for the image, instead of mainly using a horizontal frame.



In these two images I first tried a horizontal frame, but found that the composition wasn't very good, as the Cormorant was facing left but the main rocks were on the right. Switching to a vertical frame produced much better results. The composition was better, and the Cormorant posed too!



Here again I used a horizontal frame first without even considering a vertical one. There was too much uninteresting space on either side of the Heron, but it wasn't until changing to a vertical frame that I realised I could also include some of the river in the image!



Here the horizontal frame worked better than vertical, as using a vertical frame introduced unwanted elements (parts of bushes) at the top and bottom of the image.



There wasn't too much difference between these two, except that it was a little harder to include the whole of the bush in the horizontal frame.



Here the horizontal frame produced a far better composition. I wanted to include as much of the waterfalls and rocks as possible and the horizontal frame allowed that. Conversly, the vertical frame cut too much out and also introduced more unwanted subjects in the top of the frame.



In these two images I much prefered the vertical frame again. I wanted to show the structure sweeping round and forming an arc which the vertical frame made possible, whilst the horizontal frame cut out too much of the arc or if I moved further away included too much sky in the right of the image.



For this picture I just wanted to try and capture the nice colours in the leaves, as a branch. I first tried with the camera horizontal and couldn't find a composition I was happy with. I then tried vertically and a better composition presented itself!



Another image which I first tried to capture horizontally but found that it didn't work very well, then changed to a vertical frame and achieved a much better composition!

Something I found quite suprising doing this project and its write up is just how often I found the vertical frame to be better! In fact previously with some of these pictures I would have just tried a horizontal frame and then moved on, without considering a vertical frame, and it was only because I was doing this project that I used a vertical frame.

I hope that from now on I will bear the vertical frame in mind more, or ideally think of it as just as important as the horizontal frame, and make use of it when it aids my photography.