The Vertical Edit........

Why Landscape Orientation Matters in Commercial Photography and Content Creation

At Ian Wood Photography, we specialise in commercial photography, film, and branded content for businesses across the UK and beyond. With over 15 years of experience — and more than a decade focused on business-to-business photography — I’ve learned that how you frame your visuals can be just as important as what’s in them.

During a recent project, I was asked to shoot all content in vertical (portrait) orientation. While vertical format has its place — particularly for platforms like Instagram Stories or TikTok — the proposed usage for this project included end-of-aisle retail screens, printed materials, and multi-format digital content. Portrait simply wouldn’t have worked across all channels.

I advised shooting in landscape orientation to maximise flexibility and long-term value. Landscape photography not only captures a wider scene, but it also allows for more dynamic cropping and repurposing across different media. One strong horizontal image can be reframed for vertical content, web banners, printed brochures, or widescreen presentations — all without losing essential visual elements.

This flexibility is crucial for marketing teams, designers, and businesses who want their visual content to work across multiple platforms. Unfortunately, the client didn’t see the benefit, and I made the decision to walk away.

In short, landscape orientation gives you more creative control, better adaptability for multi-channel use, and greater value from your photo or film shoot. Whether you're planning a campaign, refreshing your brand assets, or creating scroll-stopping social content, the right format can make all the difference.