Landscape or Portrait?

I'm having some difficulty with photos at gas stations. The MSC told me to start taking all photos on site in Landscape mode. They said this is the reason the photos don't upload in the correct orientation. So, how do I get a close up of a pump and all its attributes when I have to stand so much further away from it versus Portrait mode? I've done over 5, 000 gas station shops... this is new to me.

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Are you taking pictures with a dedicated camera or with your tablet/mobile device? If the latter, be sure the accelerometer within your device is not locked. The accelerometer is the mechanical part in your phone to detect the orientation of your phone. What the MSC told you isn’t necessarily the solution, but rather a suggestion without knowing the settings within your camera device.

Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!

I prefer using my digital camera rather than my phone and I used to use portrait then flip the photos before submitting them. One of the clients requested landscape which I now use for all stations. Saves me from editing and have had no blow back from the MSC. Shows more of the area to the left and right of the pump and apparently enough detail of the pump.

As long as it shows everything that you are supposed to get in the pictures. It should not matter which orientation the picture is in. Some of the new smartphones can even do panoramas for you. Now that would take a while to upload especially on the systems that are behind the times.

You just have to stand further away. Seven or eight feet usually does it for me, a little more for taller pumps.I know that on an older phone I would have to stand furth back than if I used a camera, but none of my newer phones had that issue. So if you have to stand further back more than 10 feet or so, consider new new phone or a camera. Shooting in landscape does make it more difficult when there is a vehicle blocking the pump and it isn't going to move - you just have to do the best you can. In the worst cases, like with a panel truck, I have started taking an angled shot that may show very little, along with a closer up of the pumps face that shows the important elements, including the topper, and submitting both.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/2018 06:05PM by mystery2me.

I'm using a dedicated camera. I just think the landscape shot is too wide, hence turning to portrait for tall things like pumps and Main ID's. I feel like it is a lot more work to have to crop the pictures. I am wondering if I should not crop and send them in as-is with the wide shot aspect.

@2stepps wrote:

As long as it shows everything that you are supposed to get in the pictures. It should not matter which orientation the picture is in. Some of the new smartphones can even do panoramas for you. Now that would take a while to upload especially on the systems that are behind the times.

The editor for this MSC stated that when they have to flip the pictures they become distorted. They don't want to have to do that now.

@janalou wrote:

I'm using a dedicated camera. I just think the landscape shot is too wide, hence turning to portrait for tall things like pumps and Main ID's. I feel like it is a lot more work to have to crop the pictures. I am wondering if I should not crop and send them in as-is with the wide shot aspect.

Unless there's a specific aspect ratio the MSC specifies in their policies/guidelines, I'd save the time and turn them in as-is. When for them to tell you no, especially if the 'wide' shot is too wide for them.

Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!

Yes, absolutely send them as is. I think the issue is with the software they use for viewing reports. It fits the photo into a box on the page, and automatically reproportions the photo to fit the box, which is of a preset size. So a vertical photo or a cropped photo looks squished to the viewer.

I agree - send them as is. I have used landscape mode for several months and all photos have been accepted. They no longer require editing to 640 x 480 and that saves a resizing ap.

Thanks for the excellent suggestions. Since I have 10 shops for this MSC tomorrow, I appreciate all the input.

So, as expected a shop went on hold because the editor can't read the pump number. The same shop done in March with all landscape had no issues. Heavy sigh.

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