Photography Tips


Keeping Horizon Lines and Shorelines Level

How to Avoid Tilting Horizons 

by Kerry Drager 
author of Golden Dream: California from Gold Rush to Statehood , Scenic Photography 101

We've all seen - OK, we've all photographed - pictures in which a long, straight horizon line slants in one direction, making it appear as if everything is going to slide right out of the photo! Before you go out shooting seascape and landscape scenes, here are a few of the ways you can prevent a tilting horizon line or shoreline.


Dan in Hawaii
Dan in Hawaii 
© Kerry Drager
All Rights Reserved

Photographing Level Horizons

  • Use a tripod. It helps keep your camera steady - in any position you select - so you can compose your picture more precisely.
  • Some SLR cameras accept interchangeable viewfinder screens. A particularly useful one is the architectural-style grid, which comes with etched lines (both horizontal and vertical) that assist with lining up horizons and assorted other compositional references.
    •
  • A bubble level often tips you off to any tilting. Some tripods come equipped with a level; otherwise, an add-on accessory is available that slips onto the camera's flash shoe. But remember: Such a bubble is NOT foolproof (see next item).

    Seascape Silhouette
    Seascape Silhouette 
    © Kerry Drager
    All Rights Reserved
  • Trust your eye: On occasion, the horizon may not look right, even though the camera appears perfectly level ... and even though the bubble level confirms it. In those cases, you may need to actually slant the camera ever so slightly in order to keep the image visually level. I've found that this sort of thing happens most often with slightly sloping ridgelines, lakes that include opposite shorelines, and similar scenes ... so that even though, technically, these lines should slant a bit, they actually appear tilted in the photograph. Thus, leveling them out would be recommended!
  • After composing your shot, perform this last-minute task: Check the viewfinder to see if things look "right." Specifically: Is there the same amount of sky AND the same amount of land (or sea) on each side of the picture frame?
Lastly: Think of these horizon-line suggestions as take-it-or-leave-it guidelines that you consider thoughtfully, not as hard-and-fast orders that you follow mindlessly. For example, intentionally "rocking the photographic boat" - i.e., with a severe slant - could result in a visually striking "diagonal" image!





About Author / Instructor / Photographer, Kerry Drager 
Photography Instructor: Kerry Drager
The content manager and an instructor for BetterPhoto.com, Kerry Drager is also the author of Scenic Photography 101. In addition, he teaches two online photography courses at BetterPhoto: Creative Light & Composition and Creative Close-ups.
His work has appeared in Outdoor Photographer and other major magazines; Hallmark cards and Sierra Club Calendars; and in advertising campaigns for American Express and Sinar Bron Imaging. He is also the photographer of the photo-essay books The Golden Dream: California from Gold Rush to Statehood and California Desert, and is a contributing photographer for the booksDaybreak 2000 and Portrait of California. Kerry's Pro BetterPholio website - kerrydrager.com - also was profiled in Shutterbug magazine.
In addition, his work is featured in two new books: BetterPhoto Basics: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Taking Photos Like a Pro by Jim Miotke (Amphoto Books, 2010) and The Photographer's Market Guide to Building Your Photography Business by Vik Orenstein (2nd Edition, Writers Digest Books, 2010).
Kerry lives with his wife, Mary, in the country near Sacramento, California, with their six Newfoundland dogs, six cats, two horses, and a mixed terrier.
Also check out Kerry's Visual Creativity photography blog.
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)