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Showing posts 1 - 9 of 9 |
| Let's Get Something Straight |
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Sophieso
1291 posts
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Message posted at 04/23/2006, 01:17:47 AM by Sophieso |
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Our photos:-) Unless you're shooting with a level on your camera or fiddling endlessly with a tripod, the majority of shots will have a horizon that's a bit off kilter. I see a lot of good photographs that lose their composition because the horizon isn't straight, and it's a shame because it's so easy to fix.
Most photos need to be cropped to refine composition. You can straighten the horizon and crop in one easy step. If you're using a Photoshop product, just hit the "C" key to bring up the crop tool and crop as needed to optimize composition. Once you've got it, let your cursor hoover at any one of the four corners until you see a bent arrow. Click and rotate the crop box as you eyeball the horizon to make it straight within the crop box. To check that it's level, click and drag the center of the crop box until the upper or lower line of the box is on your horizon. If they match up, you're photo is straight and you can move the crop box back into position. Hit the arrow keys to fine tune the position of the box. That will make sure you don't knock the horizon off center again. This moves the box one pixel for each tap on the arrow. To move it faster hold down the control or command key to move it five pixels with each tap. You may have to crop again after straightening because you've lost some of your edges, but it's fairly easy to do a straight crop.
Another way to straighten the horizon is available if you're using PS 7 or higher. I'm not sure, but this little "trick" might be available in Elements. On the tool palette near the bottom there is an eyedropper iccon. Click on that and chose what looks like a measuring tape from the fly out. With that tool active, click on one end of your slanted horizon, or some other element that should be straight, then move to another end of the horizon and click again. A straight line should be set down along whatever it is you want to straighten. From there you go to Edit > Rotate Image > Random. Click on that and the degree of rotation will automatically be calculated by Adobe and shown in the box. Hit OK and your image will be rotated to straighten whatever it is that's slanted, if you've established a straight line the first time. You might have to crop again after that if you lose some of your edges, but again, that's fairly easy and straight forward.
Not sure if your horizon is straight, or if it looks slanted because of other elements in the photo? It's easy to check. Just move your entire image all the way down the screen until your horizon is lined up at the bottom of the monitor. For me I drag it down to my dashboard, which is bounded by a straight line. If my horizon lines up directly with the straight line on the monitor I've chosen, the horizon is find and some other elements are making it appear distorted. Maybe something else in the photo needs to be adjusted to make the composition works, but not the horizon.
Getting a straight horizon, if that is an important element of your composition, is quick and easy to do. It takes less than a minute, and it can be the deciding factor that makes a client choose your photo over one that is similar. Might as well take that minute and make a better photo.
If anybody else has any tips and tricks in this department, hop on and share what you've got:-) |
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Uploaded files: 270 | Total Sales: 626
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Marilyna
263 posts
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Message posted at 04/23/2006, 13:33:33 PM by Marilyna |
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Ive got sort of fantical about level horizons of late , if theyre not level I get really irritated!!
I also dont like to lose the edges after the levelling so when its possible, Ive taken to cloning in the missing edges, which just involves going round the white areas which are usually quite small and cloning from the area of the photo next to the edges themselves. Works a treat!!
marilyna |
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Canon EOS 5D & 20D, EF 24-105 f4L IS, EF 100-400mm f4L IS, ...
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Uploaded files: 1781 | Total Sales: 6363
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Bobwyo
506 posts
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Message posted at 04/23/2006, 13:48:08 PM by Bobwyo |
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Well, of course, that assumes the horizon is straight. I've been going through my fotos from the desert of Southern Utah and there are few straight horizons there. Everything is tilted and skewed. Hope that doesn't affect acceptance rates. ;-) (I'm actually feeling well enough to sort through my photos finally. Should have a massive FTP soon.)
Bob |
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Canon EOS 5D
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Uploaded files: 85 | Total Sales: 158
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Demonike
478 posts
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Message posted at 04/23/2006, 14:41:47 PM by Demonike - member is an admin |
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Rather than moving the entire window around you could just drag a guide from the rulers in Photoshop. Thing about tilted horizons is that, they really disturb when the angle is quite small, but noticeable. Then you just feel that something is astray in the image... If it is intentional the angle is usually 30 or more dgrees and works FOR the composition to give it a dynamic, new-edge appearance. Usually this need some sort of moving or interesting object in the foerground... |
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Nikon D200 (D70), Nikkor Fisheye 10.5mm/2.8, Nikko...
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Uploaded files: 2669 | Total Sales: 9617
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Lightart
1017 posts
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Message posted at 04/23/2006, 14:48:43 PM by Lightart |
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| Originally posted by Bobwyo: |
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Quoted Message: Well, of course, that assumes the horizon is straight. I've been going through my fotos from the desert of Southern Utah and there are few straight horizons there. Everything is tilted and skewed. Hope that doesn't affect acceptance rates. ;-) (I'm actually feeling well enough to sort through my photos finally. Should have a massive FTP soon.)
Bob |
Bob, I know what you mean about the Southwest horizons in Utah and Arizona. A lot of them are uplifted and skewed due to geologic plate movement. Its what makes the land so interesting. However I find that even though the Horizons are naturally slanted, in the photos it looks as if I was drunk sometimes when I took the photos. So if its not readily apparent that what I'm presenting in the photo is a 'natural' rendition of the conditions at the scene, I go ahead and adjust the horizon anyway just to make the photo more 'presentable'.
Don |
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Canon 1Ds Mark II, and a Canon 10D as a backup for my digita...
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Uploaded files: 366 | Total Sales: 1645
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Bobwyo
506 posts
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Message posted at 04/23/2006, 17:16:00 PM by Bobwyo |
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Good point, Don. I sometimes get myself all worked up because if I try to straighten a horizon line that's really a small anticline (or sincline), the object that's really the subject of the foto will be skewed and appear unnatural. But so much of the natural stuff in the desert appears unnatural and so few people have actually seen them that it probably makes more sense to let the horizon seem level and the object off.
I agree that it "feels" wrong to see a foto with a tilted horizon line.
Another good reason to move in close and not include a horizon, I guess.
Bob |
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Canon EOS 5D
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Uploaded files: 85 | Total Sales: 158
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Sophieso
1291 posts
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Message posted at 04/23/2006, 22:15:15 PM by Sophieso |
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If you're using a wide angle and part of your objective is to curve the horizon, don't straighten it. Sometimes a fish eye can really give you a sense of this being the earth and the curve of its surface.
In the instance of your desert scenes, yeah, the desert is weird and you're not going to find a lot of straight horizons. In that case you get to determine the composition and crop appropriately. Absolutely straight and identifiable horizon lines usually don't determine approval or refusal unless it totally ruins the composition or looks as if the photographer is sloppy and doesn't respect their work. I just wanted to give a few tips that will add more appeal to photographs that can easily be given a stronger composition.
Glad to know you're feeling better, Bob. That was a whopper of a cold you had. Can't wait to see what you got on your trip.
Demonike, great tip on using a PS guide line. And I like the idea of cloning in the edges, if it's possible.
This is great stuff. I love it when people get on board and start increasing the skills of the community. Those other guys better watch out. We're going to be the best there is:-) |
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Uploaded files: 270 | Total Sales: 626
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Bobwyo
506 posts
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Message posted at 04/24/2006, 07:37:55 AM by Bobwyo |
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| Originally posted by Sophieso: |
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| Quoted Message: This is great stuff. I love it when people get on board and start increasing the skills of the community. Those other guys better watch out. We're going to be the best there is:-) |
What do you mean "going to be," young lady? ;-) |
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Canon EOS 5D
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Uploaded files: 85 | Total Sales: 158
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Sophieso
1291 posts
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Message posted at 04/24/2006, 17:18:38 PM by Sophieso |
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Oh, dear. I do stand corrected:-) |
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Uploaded files: 270 | Total Sales: 626
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