 Over the course of my 30-plus years of teaching underwater photography, it has become clear to me that the vast majority of underwater photographers shoot well over 90 percent of their images while holding their camera in a horizontal orientation, which raises this question: “Does that mean that more than 90 percent of subjects look best in our images when the camera is held in a horizontal orientation, or does it mean that a lot of people hold their cameras in a horizontal orientation because it is easier to do?”
I am afraid the answer is that most camera systems are simply easier to hold in a horizontal orientation. Given the locations of various controls and the handles, many underwater cameras and camera systems simply fit better in our hands when we hold them in a horizontal orientation. But that does not mean that horizontal frames produce the most pleasing photographs.
With almost every digital and film camera on the market, the digital sensor or film plane is a rectangle, not a square. This rectangular construction means that when we record our images each image is either wider than it is tall, or taller than it is wide. As photographers we want to think about the rectangular look of our frames, and use the rectangle to our advantage when composing our images.
Using the best camera orientation — horizontal or vertical — for your shot means you will likely have less poorly used space in your shot. You will be far less likely to frame critical components of your scene out of your photograph or to include too much uninteresting space. As a result, your subject will appear to “fit in your frame,” as opposed to “fighting your frame.”
Because of the way they grow, swim or otherwise orient themselves to their surroundings, many subjects often look better when framed vertically. This is not always the case, and certainly a lot of subjects can be shot well when using either a horizontal or vertical composition. But when a vertical frame is called for, you will want to orient your camera accordingly. This often means you will also need to adjust your strobes so that your lighting still comes from above your subject.
The Indonesian nudibranch pictured here serves as a good example of a shot in which I found it best to use a vertical frame. I am not saying that you should never photograph a nudibranch while using a horizontal frame, but I am suggesting that for this shot and in a lot of other shooting scenarios, a vertical frame works best because it allows me to take advantage of the subject’s orientation at the time.
The take-home message here is to use the orientation of your frame to compliment your subject and to enhance your image.
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