The Frame - 8

Project: Frame shapes and sizes

Exercise: Vertical and horizontal frames

This exercise is meant to make us more aware of the possibility of using the vertical format, and not only the horizontal one. So I had to take 20 photographs twice, first using the vertical format, then the horizontal one, for the same scenes, where possible. And to be able to have all the scenes in both formats, I couldn't help it, and I photographed every scene in both formats from the beginning, instead of taking all the photos in vertical first, and afterwards in horizontal format. And I think this helped me even more, because I became aware of the difficulties of using one format or the other for some of the scenes, in trying to capture a good image, vertically or horizontally.

I won't display all the photos here and I will try to categorize the ones that I display, as there were photos in which the scene worked better in vertical format, and others in which the scene worked better in horizontal.

I'll start with the photos that I think look better in vertical format. As it was shown in the course, I was kind of encouraged to look for tall or "vertical" objects in the beginning. But then I tried to disregard the shape of the objects, and just tried to fit them in both formats, the best I could.

1.

First pair of photos represents a tall building, that looks better in vertical format, as I could capture the whole body of the building, and a little bit of the surroundings too.

Pair 1

The horizontal scene of pair 1, looks "unfinished", as I couldn't capture the whole building in the photo, form my location, and I didn't have other possible locations.

2.

Second pair of photos shows a landscape, in which I tried to fit the whole hight of a coconut tree.

Pair 2

I like both versions, but in the horizontal scene, the tree's upper branches don't fit in the frame entirely, and this seems a bit frustrating. And although I like the composition with the tree, cloud, ship and short pillar that guide the viewer's eye in a sort of nice diagonale through the picture, I still go for the vertical version.

3.

In the third pair, the vertical image looks again better then horizontal one, as the subject is better framed vertically.

Pair 3

The horizontal version has too much space to the right and left of the subject, and there is nothing interesting to balance it in either direction.

4.

The fourth pair shows a simple image, a bench. The horizontal version looks a bit nicer in color, but I think it's too static. So I prefer the vertical image, which seems more dynamic, because of the pavement lines.

Pair 4

Pairs 5 and 6 have people as subjects, and they look bigger and clearer in vertical format, because they are standing (or riding a vehicle), and they fit better in the frame, so they are closer vertically. But I think it is also important to consider the initial purpose of the photograph. Is it just the person? Or the surroundings as well? Because in the case of the little girl, for example, the horizontal image shows a nice background and shadows on the alley. Plus it happened that her face lit up in a beautiful smile, and she looks nicer although she is further away then in the vertical version.

5.

Pair 5

6.

Pair 6

7.

I think pair 7 is comparable with pairs 5 and 6, in the sense that as I want to see people's faces better and closer (so from this point of view they look better in the vertical format), the same way I want to see what's written on the sides of the blue information pillar (or whatever it is), so in the vertical format it is closer and clearer.

Pair 7

The next few pairs present some images that look about the same in both vertical and horizontal formats, or in which the format criteria is not the one that makes them better or worse.

8.

In the case of pair 8, I cannot tell which of the versions is better. At least not from the format point of view. The vertical image looks better in color, the boy's face is nicer, but the photo is a bit static, compared to the horizontal version, in which he is actually bitting the apple. But these are not characteristics related to the vertical or horizontal format, as far as I can analyze.

Pair 8

9.

In pair 9, the vertical image has a portion of blown out sky, which doesn't look good, so I prefer the horizontal version. Otherwise, I couldn't say which one is better.


Pair 9

10.

In this case I like the vertical format, but I can't pinpoint the reason. It seems a little more dynamic, framing the feet more closely, and giving the sense of direction better than the horizontal image (!?).

Pair 10

The last set of photos is the one in which the images in horizontal format seem to work better than those in vertical.

11.

In pair 11, the round, kind of flat shape of the bars "roof top", fits much better in a horizontal format than in a vertical one.

Pair 11

12.

In pair 12, the "wider than taller" shape of the water slide fits better in the horizontal format, the same as the subject in pair 11.

Pair 12

13.

In pair 13 the double bridge over the pond is better framed in the horizontal format. (But the image as a whole is richer in elements, in the vertical format, showing the surroundings better).

Pair 13

14.

Pair 14 has another slide as a subject (actually a whole playground). And as they are usually bulky in shape, they fit better in a horizontal format.

Pair 14

This exercise helped me a lot in understanding frame divisions, shapes and sizes. And like all other exercises so far, really made me experiment a lot.