| Author | Thread |
|
|
06/21/2006 01:11:46 PM · #1 |
Ok, i want to share something with the dpc community
During my presence in dpc i have received and seen the following comment given to many photographs 'the horizon is tilted' or ' the horizon is not straight' as if this was a must or a nice 'trick' to make a better photograph.. during my stay here i kind of have adapted this opinion and some times even gave it as a comment
Now, after some time i am so sorry i have done that and i am sorry to hear that some people consider that as an important factor when 'voting' or creating an opinion
I have now learned that a tilted horizon means nothing and that it can sometimes be more effective than a "perfect leveled" horizon.. the later can in fact be boring and common
but in general it subtracts nothing from a nice image
any opinions are welcomed and appreciated
|
|
|
|
06/21/2006 01:12:58 PM · #2 |
I'm guessing you'll find the majority disagree wtih you.
If the tilted horizon wasn't obviously done on purpose, it just feels unsettling to tilt to one side.
Message edited by author 2006-06-21 13:13:50. |
|
|
|
06/21/2006 01:13:08 PM · #3 |
| I agree that a tilted horizon can enhance an image IF it is done intentionally and is an intergral part of the overall composition. Otherwise, it just looks weird. |
|
|
|
06/21/2006 01:13:48 PM · #4 |
| Unless it's skewed enough to show that it was intentional, it can be distracting. |
|
|
|
06/21/2006 01:14:23 PM · #5 |
well, I agree and disagree, if it looks just slightly off, it's distracting. a difinitively tilted horizon can be used to great effect. but it has to be part of the art, and not distracting from it.
|
|
|
|
06/21/2006 01:14:26 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by Pano:
any opinions are welcomed and appreciated |
That's what people are giving you in those comments ... |
|
|
|
06/21/2006 01:21:53 PM · #7 |
 a better version here
I have a few versions of this shot that I think are better but this one made it into a Challenge. Now, while this image is slightly off topic, read some of the comments and I bet you'll laugh at a few of them regarding tilts.
Message edited by author 2006-06-21 13:24:15. |
|
|
|
06/21/2006 01:26:23 PM · #8 |
I only like tilted horizons when Steve Hill does it.
;P |
|
|
|
06/21/2006 01:31:00 PM · #9 |
A picture that is boring with a level horizon is not necessarilly going to be any better tilted. Like many things in photography, tilting is used by too many people for the wrong reasons.
I have noticed, for myself and with others, that for some reason, shooting with a digital camera seems to be more prone to tilted images than with film cameras. I don't know if it's because of the less than 100% view finders many have or if it's the design of the cameras themselves. But I notice a lot more uneven images from digital cameras than I do with film cameras.
Mike
|
|
|
|
06/21/2006 01:32:28 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by pawdrix:
a better version here
I have a few versions of this shot that I think are better but this one made it into a Challenge. Now, while this image is slightly off topic, read some of the comments and I bet you'll laugh at a few of them regarding tilts. |
I feel like a drunken hobo in these pictures :P |
|
|
|
06/21/2006 01:32:58 PM · #11 |
Once again, we're back to the good old "you can't please everybody".
I agree with previous comments (slightly tilted horizons being distracting, the tilt must be enough to be intentional).
But even if it IS intentional.... occasional I like it, but more often than not I hate having to look at it. We have a sense of balance for a reason, and having to look at a crooked photo doesn't feel right, so I sit there getting a kink in my neck trying to look at it the "proper" way.
Some people can yawn through the wildest rollercoaster rides, others get dizzy from watching a kid on a swing. I believe that whatever causes those differences, also causes us to perceive photographic tilts as either a welcome change or something that needs to be avoided. |
|
|
|
06/21/2006 01:59:37 PM · #12 |
| I'm firmly in the "gets dizzy from watching a kid on a swing" camp. Lilted horizons tend to totally mess with my balance, and make me slightly sick... not because of the photography - I just get sea sick at the slightest hint of motion. |
|
|
|
06/21/2006 02:14:50 PM · #13 |
For me tilted horizons work only when the line of the horizon (actual or implied) is an integral part of the composition -- very few are. Most usually the tilt is there, when it's there intentionally, because the photographer felt it needed something. While I agree the diagonal line provides more dynamics, a boring photo when tilted becomes a boring photo with bad composition -- not a work of art.
David
|
|
|
|
06/21/2006 02:18:08 PM · #14 |
There is a compositional 'rule' in photography called the 10 degree rule. If a horizon is tilted less than 10 degrees, it's considered a mistake. If it's more than 10 degrees its considered intentional.
It's just like any other 'rule' though. You can break it as you like. If you have a reason to tilt the horizon less than 10 degrees, then you should do it. And there are reasons to tilt a horizon less than 10 degrees.
|
|
|
|
06/21/2006 02:25:04 PM · #15 |
here's one of my favorite uses of a tilted horizon on the site:
;) |
|
|
|
06/21/2006 02:36:01 PM · #16 |
What's a little 180 degree tilt between friends ... : )
If you want to get technical, this image  suffers from the same problem; here is a link to the Original Frame (it really was shot upside down!)
 |
|
|
|
06/21/2006 03:02:32 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by Megatherian:
here's one of my favorite uses of a tilted horizon on the site:
;) |
There's a horizon in that pic? ;o) |
|
|
|
06/21/2006 03:06:53 PM · #18 |
Sometimes it's an obvious artistic choice that enhances the composition. Other times it's just teh photographer being lazy twice over - first when zie failed to properly align the horizon when taking the photo and second when zie didn't fix it in post-processing.
|
|
|
|
06/21/2006 03:15:10 PM · #19 |
to each his own! a nice photo is only nice if your eyes see it that way. unfortunately it is not a universial process, everyone looks at it the same way but no one sees it the same.
my personal take is the tilt means nothing. What is the photo of? what is it about? is it clear colorful etc these are the things i look at. the tilt prob wouldnt even cross my mind while 'voting'. I just assume thats the way the photo was set up. If the person who took the photo is ok with it so am I.
|
|
|
|
06/21/2006 03:21:44 PM · #20 |
| I doubt the horizon is perfectly level every time I look at it outside! |
|
|
|
06/21/2006 03:23:49 PM · #21 |
Originally posted by pawdrix:
a better version here
I have a few versions of this shot that I think are better but this one made it into a Challenge. Now, while this image is slightly off topic, read some of the comments and I bet you'll laugh at a few of them regarding tilts. |
With your shot here though, the diagonal vertical lines are far more important to the composition of the picture than the horizon is, since the diagonals add a feeling of drama and movement. So it is irrelevant whether the horizon is tilted or not.
Just as David.C mentioned in his post - it depends on whether the horizon is integral or not. In a lot of landscape photographs a sweeping horizon emphasises space and vastness, or serves to break up bands of colour/tone, and it is critical to the composition. It is in those cases where an horizon that is unintentionally skew looks really odd and detracts from the image.
The aesthetic effect of photos (as with most art) have a lot to do with how your eye is led around the image. If the horizon is dominant, and then it falls off at an unsettling angle, generally you'll find that people don't find the image pleasing.
Not always something I get right myself... but something worth striving for. |
|
|
|
06/21/2006 03:36:28 PM · #22 |
<---Guilty...
Sorry, but it's a real pet peeve of mine.
I think a tilted horizon can work very well when it is intentionally used to add to the composition or visual appeal of the image. Otherwise, I find it completely distracting.
Maybe it's because it makes me dizzy to look at it, but I often view it as an indication that the photographer wasn't paying much attention to composing or editing the shot. It's an easy fix.
Just my $0.02... :-)
Message edited by author 2006-06-21 15:37:12. |
|
|
|
06/21/2006 04:26:39 PM · #23 |
Originally posted by KGregory:
I doubt the horizon is perfectly level every time I look at it outside! |
Really? The horizon keeps going off horizontal for you there in Grand Rapids? It must be hard to keep the buildings from falling over...all the horizons I've seen (including when I've been to GR) are always level, although there might be something slanted in front of it, or my head might be tilted... ;-)
Message edited by author 2006-06-21 16:29:05.
|
|
|
|
06/21/2006 04:45:36 PM · #24 |
Hey, the earth is curved, it's not always about laziness, can also be about the ability to "see it". I corrected this one (during the challenge) to 1 degree clockwise to account for MY tilt while still showing the slope to the water, got no comments about horizon tilt as far as I recall. I am also very sensitive to tilted horizons when it's within 1-4 degrees of "rightness".
Message edited by author 2006-06-21 16:45:58. |
|
|
|
06/21/2006 04:49:30 PM · #25 |
Originally posted by dahved:
Originally posted by KGregory:
I doubt the horizon is perfectly level every time I look at it outside! |
Really? The horizon keeps going off horizontal for you there in Grand Rapids? It must be hard to keep the buildings from falling over...all the horizons I've seen (including when I've been to GR) are always level, although there might be something slanted in front of it, or my head might be tilted... ;-) |
Nobody's spine is perfectly straight or eyes perfectly aligned...
Message edited by author 2006-06-21 16:52:01. |
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 08/07/2025 09:59:20 AM EDT.
