When I first started photography, horizons and a “straight” photo were the least of my worries. It was all about getting the “cool shot”. I didn’t pay attention to all the minor details. One big detail that always seems to be overlooked, even by the most renowned photographers in the industry, is the horizon.

The horizon is one of the first things someone close to me had pointed out. My horizons weren’t straight. At the time, I thought, “Oh, that’s not a big deal”. How wrong was I? Very…

It’s just one of those details where if something in the photo looks crooked, it can deter you away from possible clients. It doesn’t look as professional and comes off as careless to those who pay attention to those details. If the photo looks like it should be straight, straighten it.

However, there’s an exception to the rule. Some photos can look pretty cool with an intentionally ‘crooked’ look, for-example; a runner looking down coming off blocks. If you were to tilt the photo to the horizon being aligned with his back and not the fence, it’d look really dramatic and filled with emotion. Another example is if you were to take a picture of someone looking up or down. Rotating the photo to align with his posture for a more emotional framing.

When you edit your pictures, edit them with intentions. Don’t be lazy, be intentional!