Landscape Vs. Portrait Orientation

Picture this: a vertical shot of a towering skyscraper and a horizontal photo of a flower field stretching as far as the eye can see. Have you ever wondered why these images are captured in these orientations? The choice between landscape and portrait can indeed make or break a picture, either adding flair or distorting the subjects. Feeling perplexed?

Let us unravel the secrets behind these choices!

What Is Portrait Orientation?

Let’s make it simple: portrait orientation is a vertical image, with its height longer than its width. You might hold the camera vertically to capture a portrait shot.

Since these pictures look taller, they evoke a sense of height, making them ideal for portrait photography. Also, with minimal background and surrounding elements, we can focus more on the subject and its details, capturing its natural vibe and emotion. 

That’s why portrait orientation is well-favored in book covers, posters, and portraits, allowing ample room for storytelling. 

What Is Landscape Orientation?

Landscape photographs come in horizontal frames, covering wide-angle views, like cityscapes, vast landscapes, or other extensive vistas. With a broader view, these images capture more details and surrounding elements, highlighting the depth and flow of the scene as a whole. 

Looking at a landscape picture might prompt a sense of wonder, as you can admire the sprawling background and how each element relates to the others.

3 Key Differences Between Portrait And Landscape

Landscape photography typically uses horizontal pictures, while portrait orientation results in vertical photos. However, through the eyes of experts, each mode tells a different story and conveys unique emotions. Let’s take a closer look at both!

Background Elements

Portrait photos encompass fewer surrounding elements and sometimes have blurred backgrounds. The focus is on the subject, highlighting all its details. Scenes with more vertical lines, like peoples, tall trees, buildings, or windmills, are often captured in portrait orientation. This mode evokes a sense of solidity or loneliness.

On the other hand, landscape images capture a broader scene, giving equal attention to all surrounding elements. A wider view of the background creates an impression of stability, balance, and calmness. Scenes with more horizontal lines, like vegetation, skies, streets, deserts, oceans, rivers, and bridges, are better emphasized in landscape photos, showcasing their vastness.

Space and Emotion

Landscapes cover more space, making the subject look smaller and more vulnerable, but they can evoke a sense of vastness. On the other hand, portraits zoom in on the subject, generating a mood of regality and intimacy. 

Imagine shooting a giant tree with sprawling roots in landscape and portrait photos. With the same subject and location, the landscape picture undoubtedly opens a wider window into the scene, giving us more space to take in. Meanwhile, a portrait image might crop out significant background elements, failing to highlight the tree’s grandeur and its sweeping roots.

However, it’s a different story if you’re capturing a lone tree on a hilltop. In this case, a horizontal picture excels at depicting the tree’s loneliness. Allowing for too much room in the photo might diminish the intended effect. 

Distance and Context

When the subject occupies a great amount of the vertical frame, it provides a closer look. However, with minimal background, the context of portrait photos can seem vague and mysterious, piquing viewers’ curiosity about the subject.

The opposite holds true for landscape pictures. The subject seems to stand far away in these images, dwarfed by the surrounding elements. In return, the clear background offers a glimpse into the context, allowing for a better understanding of the subject.

When To Use Portrait Photography

Portrait Photos

Most of the time, portraits capture a vertical subject to illustrate emotions and expressions. However, there are no strict rules in this creative field. You can switch to landscape mode for subjects that sprawl or spread widely (think of the Titanic-style pose).

Tall Subjects

Shooting a skyscraper, a tower, an imposing waterfall, or a grand mountain in portrait orientation adds flair to the picture. These subjects appear even loftier in a vertical frame, evoking a sense of domination over the background.

Focus On Details To Tell A Story

Portrait mode is a sidekick for close-up photos as it helps blur the background, directing viewers’ focus to the subjects. By giving all details their well-deserved spotlight, it weaves a meaningful story that keeps viewers interested. This orientation is ideal for small subjects like insects, flowers, or other intricate objects, revealing their stories in an artistic way.

Fashion Photography or Social Media Pictures

A portrait photo is much needed to showcase the outfit and the model’s pose to the fullest. It also helps flatten the sophisticated details of the costume. Additionally, most social media platforms favor portrait frames. So, if you want to stand out among the sea of pictures on these channels, use portrait mode.

Scenes With More Vertical Lines

If you encounter a scene with more vertical elements, capturing it in portrait format is recommended. Some examples are woodlands, forests, mountains, power lines, telephone poles, cathedrals, and churches. A vertical frame imparts more depth and dynamics to the picture, resulting in a more impactful visual effect.

When Landscape Orientation Is Better

Landscape Photography

Landscape orientation is, without a doubt, meant for capturing stunning landscapes, especially sweeping and expansive vistas. The horizontal frame provides a panoramic view of the entire scene, allowing us to glimpse the relationships between subjects and background elements, evoking a sense of balance and security.

Group Photos

While vertical orientation is perfect for headshots and individual portraits, this is not the case for group shots. These photos require more space to accommodate all the subjects, which only landscape photos can suffice. A horizontal frame allows the photographer to arrange everyone equally, ensuring everyone receives their own spotlight.

Horizontal Action Shots

If you want to take a horizontal motion shot, landscape orientation is preferred to capture its vibe. For example, if you photograph a car darting forward in landscape mode, the ample background can create the impression that the car is still moving. In contrast, a portrait image might only convey a stationary vehicle.

Wide, Broad Subjects

Landscape format is the way to go whenever you want to emphasize the width or vastness of an object. Some examples are a vast stadium, a low yet spacious building, a boundless ocean, or an extensive field. 

Emphasis on Horizon

If the horizon line is your focus, whether it’s a crowded cityscape or a pristine countryside, go for the landscape orientation. The line seems to run endlessly with a horizontal format, showcasing its grandeur and boundless space.

Others

Want to infuse a cinematic vibe into your picture? Hold your camera horizontally! It’s because this orientation mimics the aspect ratio in most movies, providing ample room for storytelling. 

Similarly, photos for billboards and magazine covers should come in landscape format to highlight the subject or product’s details.

6 Questions To Ask Before Choosing The Orientation

• What is your subject? Is it an object, a scene, or a person? Consider their size and dimensions to determine what to include and exclude. This way, you can fit it in the frame proportionally. If the subject is taller than it’s wide, go for the portrait format and vice versa.
• What background do you want to cover? Mind the elements surrounding the subject to decide how it should fit within the background. If you’re going to emphasize the subject, hold the camera vertically and leave a little background. Otherwise, flip to landscape orientation to showcase the entire scene.
• What story do you want to tell? Each photo reveals a story behind the subject. Do you want to intrigue viewers’ curiosity about the subject? Come closer to and use the portrait format to focus on its details. Meanwhile, a landscape picture will tell viewers how the subject blends in the background, creating a meaningful and captivating puzzle as a whole. 
• What emotion do you want to bring out? A close-up portrait image feels intimate, familiar, and personal, while a landscape picture is more visually striking, evoking a sense of grandeur. 
• How do you want viewers to look at your photo? The landscape format will do if you want them to unveil your story from left to right (say, how a flood sweeps over an area). On the other hand, for a top-to-bottom narrative, switch to portrait orientation. People tend to view a portrait photo in a vertical direction (say, how a rocket takes off).
• Where do you want to share this shot? Landscape photos can stand out more on Pinterest, while Instagram and Facebook welcome more portrait shots. What if you are shooting for a billboard, a book, or a magazine cover? You know what way to go!

Bonus: The Rule of Thirds

Calling all photography novices out there! If the details about orientation feel overwhelming, the rule of thirds will be your secret weapon for capturing memorable photos. With this rule, you basically don’t need to care about landscape or portrait orientation. 

First, imagine a grid of 9 equal cells on your camera screen. Fortunately, most modern cameras and smartphones come standard with this feature. Now, try snapping some shots in these positions to see which generates the strongest visual impact:

• Position the main subject along the bottom row of the grid.
• Place the subject in the center of the left or right column.
• Align the subject with the intersection points of the grid lines.

FAQs

Which orientation is best for videos?

It depends on where you’re going to upload it. A portrait video is better for Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook Reels, while a horizontal one is compatible with YouTube and other streaming platforms.

Can I change from landscape to portrait post-shoot?

Of course! The easiest way to switch from a landscape to a portrait is to crop the image based on your desired aspect ratio.

Final Words

Portrait and landscape orientations can convey different messages with the same subject. The choice between these two formats hinges on your subject and purpose. For those new to photography, stick to the rule of thirds and experiment with various frames to achieve the best results. Reach out to us if you still have some questions in mind!