horizon "tilt" question..

[chopper5654]

now, nobody take this the wrong way. its a comment AND a slight whine. but, more of a editorial, jocular, but frustrated thing i notice.

why does ever-so-slight horizon tilt "tilt" all the critics? it seems its the number one complaint in otherwise nice photos. it seems someone will always chime in and say, "i think your horizon tilts right?"

can i add, who cares? if its not obvious, is it really a problem?

could it be that "these people" are looking for ANYthing to nitpick? is that because they cant offer critique of substance?

i'm sorry if this sounds like i am whining (i am a little), but i just think this critique is over-used. and, i think it provides very little to actually helping someone. when its all someone says in a critique, it "tilts" me.

am i a fool here, does it bother you, or do i just need to shut my mouth on this one?

[Snydremark]

Well, for me there are a couple of things:

1. It's a "feel" thing. Have you ever seen a picture hanging on a wall, crooked? It sort of makes you want to tilt your head sideways to see it 'correctly'. We like to see photos that include a horizon as if we were actually viewing them; and most of us stand with our heads upright and eyes level :wink:

Also, if the horizon is off enough to be noticed in a casual glance at a photo sized for the internet, it's going to be worse in a print.

2. You said it yourself, "in an otherwise nice photo". With the tools available today a crooked horizon is so easy to fix that NOT fixing it pretty much says that the photographer doesn't really care enough to fix something like that. Why not make the correction and make an "otherwise nice photo" a "nice" or "great" photo?

[alt4852]

it takes three seconds to correct a horizon tilt. tilted horizons off by a few degrees are distracting. why not point it out of it's bothering you?

[greenlight]

It bothers me, too, and if you can't be bothered to hold your camera level you need to do the horizon straightening when you first edit your photos. Pretty soon the computer will be able to do that automatically.

[gcflora]

It bothers me, too, and if you can't be bothered to hold your camera level...

This one is a bit odd, to me anyway. I have a hot-shoe spirit level that I use for all of my tripod shots. The problem is just because the camera is level does not necessarily mean that the 'horizon' is level; i.e. in the case of a 'false horizon' like a receding coastline or something. Even though the camera is level I still often have to correct the 'horizon' because it just looks wrong, even though it's right. Decisions need to be made...

I hope some of that made sense!

[Mark1]

You got to remember who is replying. As photo enthusiasts we will definatley be harder on a image on the technical side than your average viewer. Simply because the tech side stands out to us more. We will complain on a 2 degree horizon tilt. Or a 1/3 stop underexposure, 2% to much contrast. 100 degree color temp cast, etc...etc... The average person will never see these things. But for people that constantly deal with images these things stand out big time.

Besides we will never get it to be 100%, if people stop helping at 90%.

[gcflora]

Besides we will never get it to be 100%, if people stop helping at 90%.

Very good point

[darosk]

To me, tilted horizons look unnatural and imbalanced if the tilt was unintentional.

[chopper5654]

points taken. i just find it overly anal when its the only comment someone leaves.

i also find some short-worded commentary to be unhelpful (i know that wasnt the original topic). its more of a "email society" thing. someone mentioned that its as if the shooter "cannot be bothered with..." i contend, too, that short commentary is lazy, as well. (but that is for another day.) sorry to sound like such a whiny biotch. that isnt my personality....guess i woke up on the wrong side today...lol.

[gcflora]

points taken. i just find it overly anal when its the only comment someone leaves.

i also find some short-worded commentary to be unhelpful (i know that wasnt the original topic). its more of a "email society" thing. someone mentioned that its as if the shooter "cannot be bothered with..." i contend, too, that short commentary is lazy, as well. (but that is for another day.) sorry to sound like such a whiny biotch. that isnt my personality....guess i woke up on the wrong side today...lol.

Well, I contend that people who can't capatalize their commentary are lazy, as well. :D Seriously, I don't see your point. Did you really expect 2000 word essays as responses?

Cheers,

[jdizzle]

I too have been guilty of my horizons being a bit off. It's something that can be easily corrected in ps or take the time to compose everything during the time of capture.
If you have patience as a landscape photog, you'll go out of your way to avoid it. Don't be so angry at the world my friend.:)

[ralff]

I usually don't respond to "crooked" horizons at all, if the photographer is too lazy to do it right or correct it in PP then why bother to coment on the picture at all.

[argyle]

now, nobody take this the wrong way. its a comment AND a slight whine. but, more of a editorial, jocular, but frustrated thing i notice.

why does ever-so-slight horizon tilt "tilt" all the critics? it seems its the number one complaint in otherwise nice photos. it seems someone will always chime in and say, "i think your horizon tilts right?"

can i add, who cares? if its not obvious, is it really a problem?

could it be that "these people" are looking for ANYthing to nitpick? is that because they cant offer critique of substance?

i'm sorry if this sounds like i am whining (i am a little), but i just think this critique is over-used. and, i think it provides very little to actually helping someone. when its all someone says in a critique, it "tilts" me.

am i a fool here, does it bother you, or do i just need to shut my mouth on this one?

Attention to detail. With everything proper, an "otherwise nice photo" can be a really great photo. If you're going to do something, do it right...

[KnightRanger]

.
Don't be so angry at the world my friend.:)


Thank You JD for words that will echo in my mind. I personally have been working on this anger issue for quite some time now.

When I ask for CONSTRUCTIVE Criticism I must be ready for ANY answer because the answer just might be something I don't want to hear.
So if I get deffensive and justify what I have done poorly, Basically I've allready submitted to repeating, and acomplishing the same results.
So I must take a breath and process this new information.

I agree constructive CRITICISM of " This Pictures Sucks " is not helpful, it's just criticism and adds to the baggage I'm trying to dump to improve my habits in life.
I need to hear " how and why this picture sucks "
(ie) Man Made Lamp Posts are Not relationally 30 degrees off the horizion,, they should be 90 (just as an example).

The possibilities of how to do one particular task in this hobby is exponentially mind boggling.

I've made a promise to myself. The next time I get discouraged because of a mistake I will find something good about that experiment.
(ie)I forgot to utilize my CPL when I went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I flogged myself needlessly and more cruely than any one else could have, until I realized: 1:) I got maybe 2 good pics: 2:) I got out of the house and enjoyed a road trip: 3:) Chances are good that the CPL will not be sitting comfortably in the bag in the future for similar conditions.

And lastly, IF this particular shot or post makes me happy, why exactly is it bothering me that other people don't find it as entertaining? Only ones self knows the true answer to that.

Peace Out.

[WillOPhotos]

Straightening Horizon is the first thing I do, I think a crooked horizon is very distracting.