When photographers typically think about shooting in the 16:9 ratio, they always think about shooting in the same way that we see movies. And that just makes sense — after all, visual media often copies one another. But there’s another trick that you should consider that doesn’t have anything to do with the movies. In fact, it’s probably an even better idea. It has to do with still photography instead. If you’re thinking about shooting in 16:9, consider this tip.
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Shoot vertical. Really, that’s the tip that we’re talking about today. Photographers rarely do this but it works so well for social media and even for your own website. Consider this when you’re shooting portraits or even when you’re photographing daily life.
What you’ll end up seeing is that it’s similar to something like the 6×7 ratio. That was often used by portrait and headshot photographers along with the 6×9 ratio.
It’s true, 16:9 is typically seen as a panoramic format, and so it’s pretty easy to shoot in this style. In fact, it’s similar to how some of us see or even what we pay attention to. But by using your camera’s EVF, you can start thinking about and pre-visualizing the world in a totally different way.
Some other tips to combine with this:
- Shoot in black and white
- Try film simulations
- Forget about the rule of thirds. Just shoot
- Think about the way that your phone shoots photos
Obviously, a real, dedicated camera has a lot more benefits over shooting in the same way that a phone will. We’re not just talking about depth and RAW file versatility, but how the dedicated tool can make you become a closer and more involved artist in the whole process.
Use flashes, LEDs, filters, or even slower shutter speeds with in-camera movement.