What’s Your Preference?

Tunde · #1 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 01:08 AM

Hello everybody.

Question is, tilting or not to tilting...okay seriously. I got a habit to tilt my pictures. Not just a leaning horizon, I am tilting my camera about 40 - 45 degree. Normaly I do this technique with landscape, sunsets, food/drink photos.

I like to know if any "rules" about this kind of composition method. I did a search on the internet but I did not find anything usefull info. Any of you have some advise or might came across with links explane how to doit properly?

any input appreciated...seeya Tunde

Sample http://www.pbase.com/misstkphotography/image/109169644

BryanC · #2 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 07:03 AM

I'm not sure if there's solid rules about it or not. I think it depends on if it works or not. My personal opinion, and that's all it is, is that it's overdone. More often it seems distracting, making you want to tilt your head to view the image. There has been images where it has worked, added something. But again, my opinion only, more often it hasn't, especially landscapes, sunsets, etc.

Stryker · #3 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 08:39 AM

I'd agree with BryanC. Titling the camera makes you want to tilt the head to look at the picture. Unless there is a very good reason for the tilt (and I really can't think of any, apart from just trying to be different) tilting the camera does not serve much purpose, especially in landscapes and sunsets. Maybe some portraits will benefit from it, but that is about it. If I may ask, why did you get the habit of tilting the camera? What do *you* think it adds to the photo?

RoyL · #4 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 09:18 AM

Wow, send my head spinning. Tilt very rarely works in this type of scene, and you have taken what would have been a great shot and spoilt it.

You will not find tutorials, or unlikely to, because camera tilt is a technique that depends on the photographers intuition, skills, and composition.

Using tilt can be quite effective for portrait, urban, pop, sport, and very limited types of landscape photography. Generally landscape does not work well because of the horizon.

Just so you are aware. This is not a rule of composition, though it can be used to enhance composition. If you want to use the technique then you are best learning by looking at other people's work, good work, and getting idea's on how to do it.

wulf · #5 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 10:31 AM

It depends on the image. In the example given, I think it works okay but it transforms the result into something much more abstract. One effective way to make use of tilting is using it to highlight one key element that is vertical or horizontal - for example, if you shoot a tall building, you might want the near edge straight even though that throws everything else out.

Wulf

fletch · #6 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 10:48 AM

If the horizon is an intergal part of the photo I think it should be kept straight, for example in most landscapes a titled horizon just makes you want to tilt you head and that is not good. I think it can work but only if the horizon is incidental to the shot such as some action shots.

Tunde · #7 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 12:25 PM

What do *you* think it adds to the photo?

Good question, honestly I don't know what makes me tilt. I do start with a vertical horizontal composition then I go tilt. I like abstract perhaps I try to give a "weird" edge to a nice landscape. Very offen I find a landscape flat or boring, I migh feel I have to spice it up.

Learning by looking at other people's work, good work, and getting idea's on how to do it.

This what I don't find to see if others do this method at all.

thanx the input...seeyus Tunde

(sorry I don't know how to quote a line)

wulf · #8 (**permalink**) 03-31-2009, 10:39 AM

Have a look at this book cover (I recently had it out of the local library - you can find it on Amazon, etc). It has a tilt to the horizon but this has the effect of having the subject, who is clearly the focal point of the image through positioning and lighting, demonstrate a strong vertical axis despite her stretch.

Wulf

fletch · #9 (**permalink**) 03-31-2009, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wulf

Have a look at this book cover (I recently had it out of the local library - you can find it on Amazon, etc). It has a tilt to the horizon but this has the effect of having the subject, who is clearly the focal point of the image through positioning and lighting, demonstrate a strong vertical axis despite her stretch.

Wulf

I do not like that horizon at all. It looks seriously bad IMO, like the original shot was straight but the woman looked weird so they tilted it. Someone must like it though for it to make the cover of a book so that shows what I know.

If it were my shot I may have invented a bit of sea in photoshop to create a level horizon. Selective straightening!

wulf · #10 (**permalink**) 03-31-2009, 11:29 AM

It is a crop from the original image (shown in the book but I couldn't find a picture of it). In that, the woman is centered in the scene and the angle of her hips is on an implied diagonal from the bottom left to the top right.

With a bit more searching, I have found the image in question - it is called "Clothed Nude" and is by a photographer called Nic Tucker. The version shown on his site is higher contrast than the one in Cheung's book and doesn't look as good but it does illustrate better how the woman acts as a lynchpin for the skewed horizon. Click on the photo for a link to Nic Tucker's site: