Photography 2 Landscape Project 2: horizontal vs vertical

The first pair of images is of a man- made waterfall (the water is channelled to ensure its path is over the rocks). In the first image the waterfall is but part of the overall scene and whilst providing a focal point for the image it lacks drama. However I like the image because context is provided and some clues are given to the scale of the image. There is a pleasant range of colours in the greens and browns of the surrounding woodland and overall there is a sense of balance.

The second image is of the same spot but this time the camera was held vertically and the waterfall positioned to ensure its dominance in the image. I ensured that there was sufficient surrounding information to provide context. I believe that this works as a vertical image and probably this format would have been my first choice for the image.

The second pair of images are of the same ruined house. In the first of the images the effect of using the horizontal allows for the inclusion of surrounding detail once again providing context. In this scene the point of the image is uncertain because it is an image of derelict buildings within a forestry setting.

In the vertical sample the emphasis is now on the building and the viewer is invited to explore the internal parts of the building whilst the surroundings are evident but less dominant.

The final pair of images is of the River Elbe viewed from the vantage point of Kronesberg Fortress

The dominance of the river in the image and the way that it draws the eye of the viewer along its length seem to make the vertical/horizontal framing almost irrelevant. The horizontal view provides more information about the surrounding countryside but does not, in my view,  add anything of significance.

As expected from the Course material the horizontality of a landscape view tends to be the 'natural' view point. However the successful vertical shots that I managed were where there was an element in the picture that drew the eye upwards (or downwards) thus making the vertical perspective seem natural. Simple countryside landscape shots did not work vertically and seemed to impose an unnatural boundary around the overall image.