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Keep verticals vertical, horizontals horizontal
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Sep 13, 2018 12:06:55   #
BlueMorel Loc: Southwest Michigan
 
I indulge in a couple of online photo contests - Gurushots and Viewbug, so I see lots of photos of various quality. One thing that distracts from some otherwise great photos is when there's a tilt to either the horizon or roof line, or vertical edges. (I'm sometimes guilty, myself.) Intentional tilts, or inherent tilts - e.g., Leaning Tower of Pisa - for artistic purposes are one thing. It's the careless tilt I notice.

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Sep 13, 2018 12:10:56   #
PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago
 
BlueMorel wrote:
I indulge in a couple of online photo contests - Gurushots and Viewbug, so I see lots of photos of various quality. One thing that distracts from some otherwise great photos is when there's a tilt to either the horizon or roof line, or vertical edges. (I'm sometimes guilty, myself.) Intentional tilts, or inherent tilts - e.g., Leaning Tower of Pisa - for artistic purposes are one thing. It's the careless tilt I notice.
Some tilts can add impact to the image like a flower or whatever other than buildings.

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Sep 13, 2018 12:16:43   #
BlueMorel Loc: Southwest Michigan
 
PixelStan77 wrote:
Some tilts can add impact to the image like a flower or whatever other than buildings.

I agree, and I've intentionally rotated or even skewed photos to be artful. Mostly it is the landscape photos where unintenional tilt distracts. (And, personal preference, I don't like the otherwise ordinary shots presented diagonally.)

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Sep 13, 2018 12:20:17   #
Soul Dr. Loc: Beautiful Shenandoah Valley
 
I especially dislike it when a waterline is involved.

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Sep 13, 2018 12:21:41   #
Don W-37 Loc: Bangkok, Thailand
 
I try not to rely on post processing very much, but I do straighten horizons when I didn't get it straight the first time. It is so easy that I don't know why people don't do it. I agree with you.

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Sep 13, 2018 12:29:21   #
EarlJ Loc: North Carolina
 
* * *
I see that same thing myself... I once asked a photographer, who fancied himself better than he was, did he ever intend to straighten a tilted shot including some brick wall imagery...
He chided me for bringing it up and blamed it on focal aberration - of course, it's never his fault... (wink) and then promptly ridiculed my lack of knowledge of such things and blocked me with a flourish to others... (sigh)
* * *
In any case, I never publish anything with large vertical or horizontal edges without "straightening" the most significant vertical or horizontal edge right from the start...
I also intentionally capture more than I need in the original image - I am a huge believer in cropping and straightening in post production, so as not to miss the shot, because I'm trying to get it level or plumb - so I DO have room to alter the image.
* * *
IF I do want to make it a bit of an artistic creation - I shoot for huge "off the vertical" angles right from the start and fine tune them in post...
* * *
I also "almost always" (only when told I can't) have a monopod attached for just that reason... I am quite frequently surprised at the very minor adjustments I need to make to get things absolutely plumb or level.
Even if I don't extend any sections of the monopod, it still gives me the feel of a "plumb bob" ... and when I shoot at 90 degrees, it gives me more of a feel for the horizontal with the stub of the monopod sticking out sideways...
* * *
In the final analysis, I think horizontal and vertical are "acquired skills" in photography... much like "hue". . . (grin)
Let's not go there... (wink)
* * *
Yes, it does bug me... you're not the only one... (grin)
* * *

Until that time. . .

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Sep 13, 2018 12:37:27   #
Architect1776 Loc: In my mind
 
BlueMorel wrote:
I indulge in a couple of online photo contests - Gurushots and Viewbug, so I see lots of photos of various quality. One thing that distracts from some otherwise great photos is when there's a tilt to either the horizon or roof line, or vertical edges. (I'm sometimes guilty, myself.) Intentional tilts, or inherent tilts - e.g., Leaning Tower of Pisa - for artistic purposes are one thing. It's the careless tilt I notice.


I agree that when hand held and other reasons that horizons or other vertical or horizontal lines need to be fixed. Especially those that are off by a degree or so as they are bothersome.
I also really dislike purposeful "artistic" tilting in nearly all situations as it is obviously forced and arbitrary.
In design if it becomes arbitrary or forced then don't ever do it. It just looks that way for no reason at all.

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Sep 13, 2018 12:56:56   #
rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona
 
I have bubble levels on some of my cameras and carry one with me for the cameras that don't. I know the camera is level. Sometimes the ground isn't. Vertical lines should be be, but can converge a slight be, as that's what we'd see if we looked up at a building. Just don't let the camera exaggerate it.
--Bob
BlueMorel wrote:
I indulge in a couple of online photo contests - Gurushots and Viewbug, so I see lots of photos of various quality. One thing that distracts from some otherwise great photos is when there's a tilt to either the horizon or roof line, or vertical edges. (I'm sometimes guilty, myself.) Intentional tilts, or inherent tilts - e.g., Leaning Tower of Pisa - for artistic purposes are one thing. It's the careless tilt I notice.

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Sep 13, 2018 13:32:17   #
BlueMorel Loc: Southwest Michigan
 
rmalarz wrote:
I have bubble levels on some of my cameras and carry one with me for the cameras that don't. I know the camera is level. Sometimes the ground isn't. Vertical lines should be be, but can converge a slight be, as that's what we'd see if we looked up at a building. Just don't let the camera exaggerate it.
--Bob

Sometimes, even landscape lines that are naturally slightly tilted need to be straightened to please the viewer's eye better. I ran into this photographing the Tetons - to my eye the foreground land sometimes was not perfectly horizontal, but a little tweaking made my resulting photo look better. It took away the foreground distraction and made the eye go to the majestic mountains.

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Sep 13, 2018 13:41:46   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
Shorelines on lakes can look un-level even when the camera is level.

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Sep 13, 2018 16:07:33   #
G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK
 
Look in your camera settings - there will be a 'gridline' option. Some , like my Sony even have a 'front to back' orientation. Both help.

I shoot nature - it rarely has a true verticle

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Sep 13, 2018 16:49:12   #
User ID
 
Soul Dr. wrote:
I especially dislike it when a waterline is involved.


Yeah ... looks like the water should all
run into a corner of the frame. Clouds
with flat bottoms also can be trouble.

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Sep 13, 2018 21:37:24   #
EarlJ Loc: North Carolina
 
* * *
Two assists for leveling...
Canon has an electronic level in one of it's menu items...
but, and what a big BUTT it is, you can use it when framing the shot... go for tripod mounting, but not som much for active shooting...
NOT sure anyone here would want to upgrade JUST for a bubble level function... well, maybe IF you're a carpenter who takes lots of pictures at work... (wink)
* * *
I downloaded a bubble level app on my phone. . . (grin)
It also has a traditional "center the bubble" type of level as well as the "circle and bubble" one...
Here again, not so practical for active shooting, but good for setting up a tripod...
AND a whole lot better than trying to squeeze a three-foot carpenter's level in the camera bag... (LOL)

Until that time. . .

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Sep 14, 2018 07:37:37   #
bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY
 
BlueMorel wrote:
I indulge in a couple of online photo contests - Gurushots and Viewbug, so I see lots of photos of various quality. One thing that distracts from some otherwise great photos is when there's a tilt to either the horizon or roof line, or vertical edges. (I'm sometimes guilty, myself.) Intentional tilts, or inherent tilts - e.g., Leaning Tower of Pisa - for artistic purposes are one thing. It's the careless tilt I notice.


They bug me too!

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Sep 14, 2018 08:16:11   #
GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan
 
BlueMorel wrote:
I indulge in a couple of online photo contests - Gurushots and Viewbug, so I see lots of photos of various quality. One thing that distracts from some otherwise great photos is when there's a tilt to either the horizon or roof line, or vertical edges. (I'm sometimes guilty, myself.) Intentional tilts, or inherent tilts - e.g., Leaning Tower of Pisa - for artistic purposes are one thing. It's the careless tilt I notice.



Besides a screen that shows you the level, (found in many brands), Pentax again has lead the way with a setting that will make minor adjustments to automatically set the horizon level. I'm sure competition will follow but for now get a newer model of Pentax.

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