Horizontal or/and Vertical Format in Kayak Photography
Like most paddlers I have a tendency to shoot pictures in a horizontal (landscape) format. It is more tricky to shoot in a vertical format from my tippy kayaks, especially, when I have to use a paddle to stabilize my camera.
Some subjects simply require the vertical (portrait) format. Sometimes the choice is not so obvious. Of course, the best solution is to shoot several pictures in both formats.
I posted below a few couples of pictures shot from the same spot in both vertical and horizontal formats. In all situations the traditional horizontal format work pretty well. However, the vertical framing allows me to show better an interesting sky or something dramatic in a foreground. Older pictures (2007) were shot with Pentax Optio W10, while newer (2009) with Optio W30 camera.
Horizontal or vertical? Which image version do you prefer in each case?
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Sunset over the South Platte River at Wildcat Mound below confluence with the St Vrain Creek. June 2007.
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Sunset over the Horsetooth Reservoir near Fort Collins shot from Thunderbolt-x kayak. June 2007.
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Calm evening with Sea Wind canoe on the Lonetree Reservoir near Loveland. May 2009.
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The same location and spot as above, but shot blind from over my head. I would prefer to place a horizon lower or higher in the vertical picture. The horizon exactly in the middle of the frame may work better in a more static horizontal composition. May 2009.
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Jeremy Rodgers in a wildwater racing kayak below the Plumb Ditch Dam on the South Platte River. March 2009.
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Shooting Paddlers – Photographic Adventures with Canoeists, Kayakers and Rafters – review
Hi Marek –
As a veteran photographer and a paddling newbie (trying to merge both lately) I enjoy reading your blog. I too have found that there are times when a vertical composition works better than a horizontal composition (and vice versa). Nice demonstration of both in your blog entry. I’ve often thought that this is a good way to approach a variety of subjects in general with a camera, because you never know when you might capture images which can accommodate a magazine cover as well as a full page spread. Sometimes it takes a little self-training to tilt the camera sideways but it’s always good to have options.
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