The Photographer's Eye: Graphic Guide

TALL

When do you rotate the camera for a vertical shot? Horizontal is the default because of the way cameras are designed to be held, but vertical offers different possibilities. This is Monument Valley, straddling Arizona and Utah, and the rock formation is Bear and Rabbit Rocks (the rabbit is a lot more obvious). There are many ways to shoot this, starting with a distant view, but the outline shapes are its most interesting feature, so pre-dawn looking east seemed a natural first shot. The group is horizontal, but the main features are vertical, so matching a vertical frame to a tall subject is one obvious approach. But if we want a sense of tallness, there’s a little more to it. The Rabbit is striking, but maybe too obvious. Sunrise, however, ...