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When is a landscape not landscape?

6 comments
  • Nick's Blog
Sep 09 2013

The difference between a landscape and a landscape can be remarkable. By this I mean a landscape; a photograph of the land infront of our camera as opposed to a landscape infront of our camera, BUT shot in portrait. Confused? Me too!

Last week I passed a location with all the elements of an iconic Wales in it. A chapel, houses, a waste/spoil heap (slate) and rugby posts.

I took shot 1 as a landscape, and shot 2 as a portrait. To me the portrait is the more telling landscape. Why? The slate spoil is more evident, more prominent. It tells the story louder than the landscape.

What do you think? My view is that the portrait shot is more powerful. Why? Well, to me it shows more of the spoil, making it dominate the buildings beneath – a stronger story.

Do you agree?

Bl Ffest 2 Fb blog DSC_1842

 

 

Landscape 1 – shot in Landscape in Blaenau Ffestiniog

 

 

 

 

BL Ffest 1 fb blog DSC_1843

Landscape 2 – in portrait!

Maybe needs a bit of thought? Or simply remember to always check both options before moving on.

« Of Course, it’s a Workshop…
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  1. gwenda 

    i like using the portrait format for landscape. sometimes it is the only way to see how insignificant the manmade world is against the natural world, or how man puts his mark on.

    sounds like a great workshop

    September 10, 2013 at 8:24 pm Reply
  2. Welsh Canon! 

    I totally agree with what you are saying Nick. In this case the portrait format is stronger. I tend to look at images with a more artistic point of view and for me the portrait has more impact. For example, I would prefer the portrait image to be hanging on my wall rather than the landscape.

    When making a picture myself I always try to remember to turn the camera for a different, if not better, view. It doesn’t always work but occasionally it does and for the better!

    Great pic btw!

    September 10, 2013 at 9:21 pm Reply
  3. Melvin Nicholson Photography 

    I agree, in fact a lot of my landscapes are shot ni portrait format. Oh and once you’ve shot both formats, turn around and see what’s behind you, sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised (unless you’re shooting in Canada and there’s a huge Brown Bear behind you, lol).

    September 18, 2013 at 2:44 pm Reply
  4. Judi Lion 

    I certainly agree that this works far better in portrait mode. As you say Nick it really homes in on what it was all about, i.e. the slate spoil behind the chapel, I certainly used portrait quite a lot in Snowdonia and felt it worked better than the landscape image on several occasions.

    September 18, 2013 at 4:17 pm Reply
  5. David Jones 

    In Art school I am sometimes told to do the Landscape as a Portrait (shape). They reckon that. I should be able to show the scale and space of the sea in a portrait shape! So its just a shape!

    December 4, 2013 at 7:59 am Reply
  6. Dale Powell 

    The portrait format works better for me, the story is potrayed much better than the landscape format image. The landscape format is a very nice, well exposed image, but when compared to the portrait, there is too much building involved. The portrait is simpler in that sense, and it’s also more powerful with more of the spoil involved. My eye wandered about the landscape, but with the portrait, it looks at the building, then takes in that magnificent spoil, and the scale becomes more telling.

    December 4, 2013 at 8:35 am Reply

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