| As an amateur, most people will pick up the | | | | |
| camera and hold it in the typical lateral | | | | Another example would be in nature shots. If |
| position for nearly every shot. This | | | | the subject of focus is a single tree, a |
| "landscape" orientation often produces very | | | | portrait orientation would be effective in |
| acceptable images but in some instances, | | | | reducing some of the extraneous objects to |
| turning the camera on end for a "portrait" | | | | the left and right of the subject. On the |
| shot is the better choice. For those with | | | | other hand, if the subject to be captured is |
| very limited experience with their digital | | | | a gradually sloping mountain or the front and |
| camera the decision as to which orientation | | | | side of a covered bridge, a landscape |
| to use can be confusing. | | | | orientation would be more appropriate. |
| | | | |
| Certainly, photographers can get quite | | | | The movement of the subject is the other |
| creative and take shots of people at a | | | | factor that should be considered when |
| variety of angles to provide greater | | | | determining which way the camera should be |
| interest. Experimentation is not to be | | | | held. If the subject is moving left to |
| discouraged. However, for more reliable | | | | right, a landscape orientation is more often |
| results, the traditional orientation of | | | | the optimal choice but if movement is upward |
| portrait or landscape is typically | | | | or downward, portrait orientation often works |
| recommended for beginners. Which way the | | | | best. |
| digital camera should be oriented generally | | | | |
| depends on one of two things: the subject's | | | | For example, if the subject of a picture is |
| position or the movement of the subject. | | | | to be a dog walking along a line of rail road |
| | | | tracks and the photographer wishes to capture |
| One of the basic rules of photography is to | | | | the movement looking down the track off into |
| focus on the subject and to reduce the | | | | the horizon, a portrait orientation best |
| appearance of other items in the frame which | | | | demonstrates the movement. However, in the |
| will distract from the subject within the | | | | same scene, if the aim is to show the animal |
| image. Sometimes orienting the camera | | | | moving horizontally, versus off into the |
| differently will allow the photographer to | | | | horizon, a landscape orientation would be |
| eliminate the distractions without stepping | | | | preferable. In this case, it is not only the |
| in closer or cropping the image later. For | | | | subject but the direction of movement of that |
| instance, if the subject is a person | | | | subject that determines how the image will be |
| standing, most often the orientation of the | | | | best captured. |
| camera should be portrait. This will result | | | | |
| in fewer distracting details showing up to | | | | As with any rule, there are instances where |
| the left and right of the person standing in | | | | these traditional guidelines can be violated |
| the picture. However, if this same person is | | | | with great results. However, in most |
| reclining, the orientation of the picture | | | | instances adhering to these guidelines will |
| should generally be landscape. This will | | | | allow the beginning photographer to capture |
| eliminate more of the dead space or | | | | images with their digital camera that they |
| distracting items from above or below the | | | | will be proud to display. |
| subject. | | | | |