To Flip or Not to Flip an Image

[Rachel Hollander]

This question arises out of a recent suggestion for one of Ken Watkins' images but has come up a few times recently in the wildlife forum. Here's the short recent discussion:


http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/96911-Angry-Hippo

So do you flip your images, and if so, why? If not, why not?

Thanks,
Rachel

[Doug West]

I've flipped, but I've never liked the outcome...just looks to goofy...probably because
I know I flipped it.

Why? I just like trying different things...like putting the picture of my boss
in the front of an angry herd of rushing elephants.

Doug

[Hilary Hann]

For the purist nature photographer who won't even remove a stray leaf or grass, flipping should be a no-no (in my opinion). Faithful representation of the scene in front of you should include the fact that the identifying spots on a leopard are on the side of the face that they belong, or the stripes of the zebra are on the correct side. If you are a little more relaxed about your photography and are happy to remove a stray leaf, twig and stick, then flipping is no problem … however you need to state that the image isn't an exact and faithful representation of the scene/animal.

As far as the aesthetics of the 'flipping' argument goes, my training said that if an image was printed in a book or magazine or as part of a composite of images, then the main subject should be looking in not out of the page. When it comes to an image of a single animal being presented on a monitor screen (like we see on BPN) where there is no left or right page, then I see no advantage to it and it seems just an extra step for no good reason. Getting the balance of the subject matter inside the frame has far more merit and moves beyond just using simple 'rules of thirds'.

Of course, just my opinion based on years of selling animal portraits to magazines, books and clients. :S3:

[Tom Graham]

Let's hear from some landscape photographers. Do you prefer to have the "lead in" fence, road, stream, diagonal from the bottom left, or right side/corner, or centered?
Tom

[Tom Graham]

"...the main subject should be looking in not out of the page."
Do I understand then on the books left page the subject should be looking right (toward center of book) and if subject on right page the subject also looking toward center, that is left?
Tom

[Hilary Hann]

Yes Tom, that is what art directors and ad agencies always told me. So if I was out on assignment I had to photograph a stud stallion, for example, on both sides if shooting action photos so the ad designer could choose appropriately. No flipping allowed, not for multi million dollar horses. Conformation studies were different, but I won't bore you with the different requirements of the different breeds of horse. Nowadays I do see flipped horses but not with the expensive horses only the not so valuable animals because markings, mane fall etc are different and it comes down to the ethics of the capture. Complex subject, comes down to trust and accountability.

[Steve Kaluski]

Yes Tom, that is what art directors and ad agencies always told me.

Yes Hilary that's quite correct, as it's always nice to see 'the subject' walking into the page or frame, rather than out of it, however like a lot of things, thoughts, views etc move on, and some of the 'rules' so to speak, become less important, especially with the advent of Digital allowing you to do a lot more, although even with transparencies you could still flip an image. :S3: In the 'old days' of instigating an image search from a photo library, ie Getty, a researcher would supply say 12 images (transparencies) based on your requirements, however there were times when you could only tell which way the image was shot by the emulsion side.

As you say Hilary, posting an image here on BPN, if an image looks better presented the other way, then flipping it I don't think cary's the same degree of 'change of content' compared to adding canvas, blurring BKG's to achieve what the camera didn't, etc, but you do raise some interesting POV in your thoughts. Also, at the time of taking the image there might be restrains on achieving the direction (R to L) of the subject?


trust and accountability
At the end of the day, only the 'author' will know as to whether the image has been flipped, unless there was some writing in the scene or the subject was wearing a watch, LOL.:bg3:

Tom, you are correct, however I'm not sure if this still applies, as I have been out of the circuit for a while, but in advertising, RH pages used to command more $$$$$.

Rachel, good thread, Hilary some valid points, lets see how it progresses.

[Ken Watkins]

I've flipped, but I've never liked the outcome...just looks to goofy...probably because
I know I flipped it.

Why? I just like trying different things...like putting the picture of my boss
in the front of an angry herd of rushing elephants.

Doug

Doug,

I have to totally agree with you, in particular the second paragraph although it would not be my boss:bg3:

[Tom Graham]

"No flipping allowed, not for multi million dollar horses.... trust and accountability"
I most certainly agree - if the purpose of the photograph is to document or scientific.
Tom

[Robert Amoruso]

Let's hear from some landscape photographers. Do you prefer to have the "lead in" fence, road, stream, diagonal from the bottom left, or right side/corner, or centered?
Tom

I always frame lead-ins based on what balances with the rest of the compositional elements in the scene. So it can come from left or right corners or the center for that matter.

I have never flipped an image.

[Mike Atkinson]

I don't believe that flipping an image left to right changes the composition of the image itself, although it can change the composition of a page on which it is placed.

I once read that the way people 'read' images is influenced by the direction they are used to reading text, and so most westerners prefer to see their subjects facing from left to right within an image. For this reason - just in case it's true - I sometimes flip images to meet this preference.

I wouldn't do this for people or 'famous horses', etc., but I've never felt my avian subjects are adversely affected by this.

Mike.

[Dan Brown]

I will add to the above that if you there are landmarks or buildings in the BG and you flip the image, you will be revealed!

[peter delaney]

I have no problem in flipping an image if it makes my composition stronger. I am not one of the purists In this sense and never will be. As Brooks Jensen put it in one of his podcasts " I am not in the xerox business" I want to make my images as visually strong as possible but within the realms of reality. Disclosure is important . And I do so in my Artists statement.