Straight Photos with SLR camera

[foto]

I am not very experienced in photography yet. I am doing lots of practice on my camera to improve my skills. Yet I have a problem that many of my photos do not come out straight. After I shoot them I have to straighten it in Photoshop (which is very time consuming). I never had this problem with my point and shoot camera, it only happens with my digital SLR. Any suggestions??

 

[Canihaspicture]

You should take a picture of yourself taking a picture in a mirror. You probably are not used to the weight of a DSLR... that or your holding it incorrectly.

Most right handed people have the left hand cupped under the lens and the right hand on body itself. If you are trying to hold the body with both hands (one on each side) then there's no telling how it will come out and it's just plain weird.

 

[paulc]

Are they consistently skewed in the same direction? It could be that in pushing the shutter release you're inadvertently rotating the camera clockwise.

 

[neuroanatomist]

The 60D and 7D have an electronic level which can be displayed in the viewfinder or on the rear LCD in Live View. There are also hot shoe-mounted bubble levels (e.g. this one). The hot shoe solution is good for tripod use, not so much for handheld.

 

[foto]

I took a picture of myself in the mirror. I am holding the camera right (left hand on lens and right hand on zoom). I only have this problem when taking vertical pics.

 

[awinphoto]

I love the levels on the 7d, however since I dont know what camera you are using, i second neuros suggestion with the hot shoe bubble level... That's what I used before my 7d.

 

[thejoyofsobe]

looking through the viewfinder use your imagination to draw a horizontal or vertical line between AF points. then adjust your camera so that your imaginary line is parallel to a horizontal or vertical line (respectively) in your shot.

or you could just get an architectural focusing screen so you don't have to use your imagination.

 

[foto]

I use a 60D and dont like to use a tripod because I mostly take from little kids and have to bend down.

 

[Harley]

One other option is the clip from a Gorillapod Ballhead that screws into your tripod mount under the body of the camera. It has a level bubble and you can easily look down from the eyepiece just before snapping to make a final adjustment to level. But this won't help for your portrait orientation.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I am guilty of this as well. Many of my images tilt from left to right. (I'm left handed). The 7d has a level, but I haven't bothered to use it so far, I just straighten them if they are crooked a little. If I concentrate on keeping the camera level, then I am usually not concentrating on the subject.

 

[foto]

I am also left handed and my pics are very often tilted. I tried to set my camera using the grid but I mostly use the eye piece when taking a picture. Would levels help me more than a grid? Do pictures come out nicer when using the LCD screen or the eye piece?

 

[ronderick]

The 60D and 7D have an electronic level which can be displayed in the viewfinder or on the rear LCD in Live View. There are also hot shoe-mounted bubble levels (e.g. this one). The hot shoe solution is good for tripod use, not so much for handheld.

Well, here's a new innovation by hakuba making the bubble level even more compact and portable:

http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20110802_464688.html

Looks like it's even small enough for a DC.

 

[Sunnystate]

Probably everybody at least some of the time, do that.
When focused on the scene, and really excited about getting the best of the perfect moment, it is really hard to think about the straight horizon line.
Usually just intuitive adjustment, that of course to many times is influenced by all sort of optical illusions, our own position, other existing lines, like slanted line of the hills, curvy edge of the lake, perspective lines and even visually "heavy" objects in various positions etc.
Unless working with tripod, this is something that we should learn to live with, and just adjust later in PS.

 

[beardofzeus]

Just be more conscious of keeping your horizons straight. If there are prominent vertical or horizontal lines in your frame, do your best to keep it parallel with the edge of the frame. It's not as big of a problem as you think, and once you get the hang of photoshop you can easily straighten photos in a few seconds.

 

[bvukich]

I always use the af points to keep things level, just line up opposite ones with the horizon, or equidistant from the horizon.

 

[Edwin Herdman]

Yeah, the AF points are a good trick.

One problem with relying on a level - either the built-in electronic one or one in the hot shoe - is that it's based on the pull of gravity, not on the scene. You have no guarantee that the framing in the scene will look best when you're horizon level, rather than having the elements level. Sometimes it's best to skew the horizon intentionally when there is one single element that you want to highlight.

I'd still like an electronic level as seen in the 7D, but I'd likely find it useful only when shooting architecture (though I would be concerned, once again, that using it to straighten out verticals with a shifted TS-E might not be as accurate as I need).

 

[bycostello]

try a monopod or tripod.... an SLR is a lot heavier so it is a bit harder to hold straight...