Horizons

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norvic-boy

norvic-boy

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The topic of Horizons often appears in the Landscape and Scenery section, as it is a key element of most landscape images. However on quite a few occasions even though its considered to be one of the basic skills of taking a landscape image, it is too often missed - my take on it is that you shouldn't be able to ski down the horizon of a seascape, as last time I checked the sea didn't slope :thinking: And with the ease of post processing its very easy to straighten out a wonky image. With elements 5 (So quite an out of date bit of software) you're only three clicks away from a perfectly horizontal horizon!

So, whats your take on it? Do you think a horizon on a landscape should be perfectly horizontal? Does it bug you when its not? Is it arty when its purposely way off being horizontal or does that bug you even more?

The reason I want to know is there has been a noticable increase recently in wonky horizons on TalkPhotography and in my general day to day photography encounters... and what really kicked this thread into touch was the fact I was having a look through my flickr contacts and saw a nightscape, quite a nice image, well-lit by the D700's great ISO; interesting sky line, with interesting foreground too. In fact it has been 'explored', had 723 views, 48 comments and 68 'favourites' - I know flickr is just about saying 'ooh yeah great picture' etc, but not one person had commented on the fact the landscapes horizon was miles from being straight! And for that the image was entirely ruined for me.

I know I'm probably opening a huge great big can of worms, but surely a straight horizon is one of the fundamentals of landscape photography?
 
Yep, I agree. I got lambasted on here a while ago for pointng out someone's Horizon wasnt straight. I always make the effort to get that bit right at least, although with my 16-35's distortion at the wide end which isnt fixable in Lightroom, somes the images do slope slightly at each edge, but the middle is always straight.

In some very rare cases it can work artisictly, but for a normal landscape, there is no excuse.
 
When the horizon is intentionally way off then that is fine by me, even though it is not something that I go for.

When it appears a tilted horizon is not intentionally skewed then yes, I find it annoying.

It is something that the human eye picks up very easily, even if the tilt is only a few degrees and therefore something which I think there is no excuse for not correcting, but I have to admit I have missed it from time to time.

The ability to spot a wonky horizon in a photo will vary from person to person, but some I have seen are so far from horizontal that I wonder if the photographer can walk upright.

Dave
 
Rules are there to be broken guys. I know that you will need to follow the basic rules most of the time to produce a well composed image but I have no problem with people experimenting and producing a good image with a wonky horizon. Good on them for going against the norm. Gives a bit of variety:)
 
I have iffy balance and struggle to juge the horizon, which is why I now have the thirds grid turned on in the GH1s EVF, trouble iso n film I have no such recourse and often have wonky film shots, doesn't help that I like wideangle so when the subject looks straight then the horizon often isn't.

Worst case of wonkiness I've shot was 15 degrees CCW, with a 40mm lens on the GH1, I have no idea how I got it so bad!

I notice too that when I'm driving down a certain road near here I can see the sea ahead of me, but it always appears to be sloping to me!
 
Doesn't bother me in the slightest and always think of OCD when this subject arises :p
 
I'm all for artistic effect, which is fine if you have your horizon at say 45 degrees.
But when its out by only a couple of degrees I don't see that as artistic, more of an over sight.
Things obviously get tricky when your horizon is not exactly parallel to you, but there are obviously other parts in the image that should allow a level horizon to be near as dam it spot on.

When I do landscapes, the first thing I do in ACR is level the horizon and correct distortion. Once in PhotoShop I then check it with a grid overlay.
 
I have to say, it really annoys me! You can by a hotshoe spirit level for a few quid...
 
Are these the same people who are happy for their pictures on their walls to be crooked?
 
Tringa said:
It is something that the human eye picks up very easily, even if the tilt is only a few degrees
Click to expand...

'a few degrees' is massive.

I'll admit my eye is fairly well trained, but a clear horizontal or vertical that's out by 0.2° is easily spottable and I reckon even a tenth of a degree out can set my spidey senses tingling.
 
TCR4x4 said:
Yep, I agree. I got lambasted on here a while ago for pointng out someone's Horizon wasnt straight. I always make the effort to get that bit right at least, although with my 16-35's distortion at the wide end which isnt fixable in Lightroom, somes the images do slope slightly at each edge, but the middle is always straight.

In some very rare cases it can work artisictly, but for a normal landscape, there is no excuse.
Click to expand...

Surely you can correct wide-angle distortion in Lightroom quite easily?

If a Canon, your lens has an automatic profile, but if that doesn't work, go to Manual and move the distortion slider.
 
Mikesphotaes said:
Doesn't bother me in the slightest and always think of OCD when this subject arises :p
Click to expand...

:gag:!

No matter how hard I try my horizons are usually about 1 degree out, sloping down to the left. It's usually the first thing I notice on ther monitor, and I always correct it! Bugs me no end otherwise.

OCD indeed!
 
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jerry12953 said:
:gag:!

No matter how hard I try my horizons are usually about 1 degree out, sloping down to the left. It's usually the first thing I notice on ther monitor, and I always correct it! Bugs me no end otherwise.

OCD indeed!
Click to expand...

Had to laugh at the "wonky" comments I got on here years ago.

I still don't think they believe that Knockhill racetrack is NOT bleedin flat!
 
jerry12953 said:
:gag:!

No matter how hard I try my horizons are usually about 1 degree out, sloping down to the left. It's usually the first thing I notice on ther monitor, and I always correct it! Bugs me no end otherwise.

OCD indeed!
Click to expand...

mine are the opposite to you jerry, almost always 1-1.5 degrees down to the right. i put it down to movement when i press the shutter button.

for landscapes it would annoy me and i wouldn't upload anything with a wonky horizon now, although i have done in the past lol.
 
lexie said:
mine are the opposite to you jerry, almost always 1-1.5 degrees down to the right. i put it down to movement when i press the shutter button.

for landscapes it would annoy me and i wouldn't upload anything with a wonky horizon now, although i have done in the past lol.
Click to expand...

Aaaaaagh,

I meant the right! Perhaps it is the shutter button.

Also, its usually worse with a portrait format shot.

But its easy enought to correct.
 
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