Horizontal or Vertical Photography?
The better choice for social media platforms.
Like most GenZ photography enthusiasts, my initial concept of photography was a landscape shot on a horizontal format. This may be because, in an era when smartphone cameras function was not perfect, we used cameras to take photos, whether it was with a DSLR or CCD cameras.
Image: A person is viewing a horizontal composition of the night road photo on the viewfinder of the camera. Image by Karol D. Used with a CC0 Pubilc Domain license.
Because of the design of the camera viewfinder, relying on the horizontal line has become the preferred method of framing shots. Today, with advanced camera features in smartphones like the iPhone and Xiaomi, more and more people are using their phones as their primary photography tool. Given the vertical orientation of smartphone screens, vertical photos seem to perform better on social media. As the main platform for sharing photographic works, which size is more suitable choice when we post photos on social media platforms?
Platform and Mobile Device Browsing Mode
The choice of photo size first depends on the preferences for the image format on the different social media platforms. As the main platform for sharing photographic works, Instagram’s layout allows images to occupy for a larger space in the feed and that can enhance the visual impact of the photos.
Image: The Instagram page shows a couple looking at each other lying on the green grass. Image by Plann. Used with a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.
Vertical photos mean a larger portion of the page, which has an advantage in attracting more audience. Photographer Jordan Brittley says his vertical posts on Instagram get an average of 10 percent more likes than square ones.
This advantage is made even more apparent by the popularity of short video platforms, where videos or images on Instagram Stories and Reels must be 9:16 in size. At the same time, TikTok was designed for vertical video from the beginning, and its popularity has further exacerbated this trend. Most of the 7 billion videos viewed on Snapchat every day are also shot in vertical format.
Video: Using VEED, horizontal videos are edited so that they are adjusted to a vertical ratio of 9:16 to fit TikTok’s platform. Video by VEED STUDIO
The screen size of the mobile device is also the important factor affecting the choice of the image size on social media. Because of the horizontal design of television and laptop screens, we were more used to viewing pictures or videos horizontally before the era of smartphones.
Image: Different screen sizes among the desktop, tablet, and smartphone. Image by Seobility. Used with a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
Nowadays, browsing platforms using smartphones is the main way to receive information. Smartphone users hold their phones vertically 94% of the time. Vertical photos allow audience to view content without to adjust the angle of using their phones. It can make vertical content particularly eye-catching during the fast-paced scrolling typical on social media platforms. The optimal size for TikTok is 1080 x 1920, as this size can fit into most smartphone screens.
Aesthetic Perspective
From the aesthetic perspective, the choice of photo size needs to consider the subject and content of shooting.
Landscape photographer Frederik Bøving says that most of the time, when he captures wide landscape such as coastlines with his camera, he will use a horizontal composition. However, when photographing trees, statues, or high buildings, vertical composition will be the choice. This compositional logic is considered "correct and traditional" and is also widely recognized among photographers.
Image: Horizontal composition photo of the Cairo Cave Church. Photo by Landy Tong.
Different photo sizes will also bring different emotional experiences to the audience. When posting a photo on social media, considering the mood you want to convey to your audience is an important factor. Horizontal composition can bring a broad feeling to the audience, which can help to express calm and peaceful moods. The vertical composition can reduce environmental elements for the frame, which helps to reduce the chaos in the photo. The attention to the main subject of the photo increases the audience’s perception of strength and even tension.
Image: Vertical composition photo of the Cairo Cave Church. Photo by Landy Tong.
So, What’s the Answer?
Overall, if we only focus on the reading experience of social media platforms and mobile devices usage, vertical composition indeed seems like the better choice. But not always, as an aesthetic expression, photography needs to consider more aspects to achieve artistic expression than just views on social media platforms.
Image: A man in a suit with a cigarette in his mouth looks at the camera. Black-and-white photograph. Image by Eric Kim. Used with a PDM 1.0 license.
Photographer Eric Kim took a bold step in his SUITS project, He chose to shoot all the pictures with horizontal composition. This creative constraints provides new inspiration for social media photography creation. Such a break from platform preferences can enable artists to explore and express beyond the limitations imposed by the vertical layouts favored by mobile-first platforms.
Horizontal or vertical? Combining the photographic subject, careful consideration of the audience demand and the platform preference will help the photographer to make a choice.