What is 'Level'

[FrankMi]

I saw a discussion where the horizon was not available but you could see trees. It was assumed that because the trees were level that the horizon was also level. Whereas this is true in many cases, and certainly in the one in question, it is not always the case.

Prevailing winds, soil erosion and unhealthy trees are just some of the reasons that trees lean. I've also noticed that trees growing on a steep mountain side will often lean toward the light, particularly if the mountain blocks the sun for a significant portion of the day.

In some cases, you could end up with an image like this if you use straight tree trunks as your only guide to what is level.

[Saorsa]

Admit it, those are really girls with really strong ankles.

[Sergio M.]

Very good illustration and explanation about trying to get things level. This is something I often struggle with.

Sergio

[Manfred M]

Love it Frank! Great illustration to put that old story about trees always growing vertically to rest. You have done so in a thoroughly convinciing fashion.

[FrankMi]

Admit it, those are really girls with really strong ankles.

Perhaps so, Saorsa!

[FrankMi]

Very good illustration and explanation about trying to get things level. This is something I often struggle with.

Sergio

I think we all do from time to time, Sergio. Thank you for your comments!

Love it Frank! Great illustration to put that old story about trees always growing vertically to rest. You have done so in a thoroughly convincing fashion.

I appreciate your comments, Manfred!

[pnodrog]

Frank are you not leveling with us? The little bend in her right ankle does make me a tiny bit suspicious (actually I am always suspicious but usually regarding PP)

[FrankMi]

Frank are you not leveling with us? The little bend in her right ankle does make me a tiny bit suspicious (actually I am always suspicious but usually regarding PP)

Hi L.Paul, there would be no point to 'faking' the image. At the time I shot it I realized that it would be interesting to simply tilt the camera to line up with the trees so this is pretty much full frame.

There was PP done, mostly LCE to rock and tree textures, set the color balance slightly warmer and, of course, sharpening and format cropping from 4000x2664 to 1600x1000 pixels for display.

[Downrigger]

The extra coolness of this example is that the rock surface the girl on the left is standing on is tilted so that it is perpendicular to the trees, so an "upright" image here would be truly jarring to look at.

[Bobobird]

Sometimes we need extreme examples to knock a point home. Good one Frank.

[jcuknz]

Perhaps so, Saorsa!

Or else the lad just sat in a treacle patch?

It can be very tricky with land-seascape shots where the coastline stretches away making it look not-level when in fact it is.

edit ... URRRGH ... just noticed the girls ankles

[FrankMi]

Indeed Mark. Sometimes we just need to pick the poison that works best under the circumstance. Occasionally, making an image off-level actually makes it look like it is level.

Thanks Bobo. I wasn't trying to be pushy but rather to simply point out that things aren't always necessarily what they seem to be.

Or else the lad just sat in a treacle patch?

It can be very tricky with land-seascape shots where the coastline stretches away making it look not-level when in fact it is.

edit ... URRRGH ... just noticed the girls ankles

Tricky indeed. That is why, when I want to be certain about it, I use the Spirit/Bubble shown here.

http://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Bubble-.../dp/B001HS87D6

[NorthernFocus]

Interesting topic and good example to go along with it. I'm sure a lot of people are frequently faced with this dilemma.

Like so many things in photography, if the horizon isn't visible in the image, who knows whether it is level in absolute terms. What is more important is the perception of the viewer. As a technical person, I typically go through great pains to figure out some point of reference in the image to establish level. But very often I find the image just doesn't "look right" when truly level. In those cases I simpy rotate the image until my perception is that it "looks right". So sometimes, even if trees aren't purely vertical, the viewers' perceptions may expect them to be. The same dilemma often arises with waterfalls. Given adequate vertical drop, water will fall straight down. Most people understand this intuitively and have that expectation. But most falls don't allow adequate free fall. And those that do are typically shot from far enough away that there is some other reference to level in the frame. But for smaller falls, one must simply do what looks right. For that reason I have pretty much abandoned the use of a bubble level when I set up. Now I simply use live view to set up such that things look "right" and try to leave enough room in the frame to tweak level and crop in post.

[Bobobird]

Further to Dan's excellent points. I would add that the lines in the viewfinder are also excellent levelling tools. Newer cameras also have a levels meter and I use that when first setting up on a tripod (though it does have bubble levels etc) and/or liveview to get everything in "perception" order.