Photography composition: Tilted horizons in photographs
A disconcerting angle perhaps with this photograph’s composition – still, there is a dynamic balance of sorts. Because Anelisa is ‘upright’ / vertical in the photo, it matches our sense that vertical and horizontal lines should be just that. Still, everything else is at a dizzying angle. While the horizon is at a slant, I placed her vertically in the composition, which hopefully creates a balance when we look at the photo.
I am not particularly fond of tilted horizons or tilted photos (also known as the “Dutch angle” or “Dutch tilt”), but I do think it can be used sparingly for effect. It is a topic we’ve discussed in a previous article on photographic composition: Tilted compositions / Dutch angle.
That said, what do you think – does the tilt work here, or is it too unsettling?
I do find that too often I inadvertently tilt my camera slighty. So if I could have just one photographer super-power, I would like it to be the ability to *always* keep my freaking horizons level. It drives me nuts when I edit and I have to continually straighten the horizon.
I really try to keep the camera level when I shoot, but somehow there’s a slight tilt to many shots. Like I maybe tuck my one elbow too much. Or something. This is even *with* the grid lines enabled in the camera’s viewfinder.
Maybe I should just accept it and call it a style – The Ever So Slightly Annoying Slight Tilt ™
This photo of Anelisa was taken during one of the occasional Photo Walks in New York. With a photo walk, we have a maximum of 4 people, each supplied with a Profoto transmitter to control the Profoto B1 flash that I bring along. The Profoto B1 is powerful enough to allow us to use a softbox with high-speed flash sync. That’s something you can’t do with a speedlight! This allows us more flattering light from our flash.
Camera settings & photo gear (or equivalents) used
- 1/1600 @ f/4 @ 100 ISO … with Profoto B1 off-camera flash
- Nikon D5 (B&H / Amazon)
- Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8E VR (B&H / Amazon)
- Profoto B1 flash (B&H / Amazon)
- Westcott Rapid Box 36″ Octabox (B&H / Amazon)
Books on photographic composition
One more example where a purposeful tilt to the camera creates a disconcerting image. Here the sidewalk was at a slant, and I oriented the camera to the sidewalk’s angle … which rendered the building and passerby at this unusual angle. Incongruously enough, the shop’s name was ‘even’. With this image, the purposeful tilt has less to do with the overall balance of the image, and is meant to be whimsical.
Related articles
- Tilted compositions / Dutch angle
- More articles on Photography Composition
- More info on the Photo Walks in NYC
Hi Neil,
like the opening image the most – here the tilt just works!
In the 2nd…. I feel slightly hungover after a bad night out……
Glad I’m not the only one battling with horizons….something I keep discovering even after numerous editing steps!
Cheers
SB.
I’ve been tilting my horizons on pretty much every single portrait I’ve photographed, since I started at 2008 :-) (I wouldn’t do it for landscapes or architecture of course).
I do it without thinking, it became something like a personal style, and I think it’s been working out fine for me, adding dynamism and “motion” to the photo.
Hi Neil and all,
tilting is something I always try to avoid but the first photo has something intriguing to me.
I acknowledge that Anelisa is vertical in the photo, but my perception does say something different. My perception says that Anelisa leans toward right as much as skyscrapers lean towards left, balancing their ‘weight’. The same applies to colours: her pink dress balances the blue of the skyscrapers, and I definitely appreciate that overall juxtaposition of lines and colours
I think the Dutch angle works beautifully with Anelisa. Really like it. It’s not just a Dutch angle for the sake of it; it adds something to the statement of the image.
I always tend to slightly tilt too. It’s very annoying having to fix in post every time, but what’s worse is some strange backgrounds where it’s tilted! Eg in one shot the mountains in the bg were sloped. So when I was perfectly flat, the horizon looks tilted. Then I don’t know which to follow.
Hello, what focal length was used for the first image ? Thank you. I think the Dutch angle works for this image. The lines draw you to the subject.
The lens was a 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom, set to 24mm.
I’m not sure what to think.. it’s strange and weird, but I also like it.. I wonder if I’d like it more with a little less tilt?