Are your horizons horizontal? I'll be watching

@JudyEv I used IrfanView which is a free and fairly simple tool. You want one which has a 'Custom Rotation' option (most can rotate images by 90 degrees but not all have custom rotation). I usually estimate the angle it needs to be rotated (it's not hard to guess in 5 degree increments) and then adjust by a degree or so if it needs it. I can usually get it as close as I need in two or three goes. I didn't time myself but I suppose that downloading your photo, opening it in IrfanView, adjusting the angle of rotation (two goes), cropping the image to eliminate the original borders, saving and uploading to my response here took less than 5 minutes. Other editors I use (both completely free) are Paint.net and Gimp. Paint.net can do rather more than IrfanView, including layers and better colour adjustment and some useful effects, but is still simple and quick to use. Gimp is more complex and up to the standard of Photoshop. It can do complex things like correct converging verticals (when the camera is pointed upwards to include the top of a building, for example).

Thanks for the info. Vince fixes horizons if I ask him and I should learn to do it myself. I'm a tad lazy sometimes. But I do find that whenever I take a photo now I mostly check to see if the horizon is level. It is amazing what you can do to photos now isn't it?

@owlwings Thanks for the extra information. I have tried to do a few things with Paint and Vince has Photoshop and some other fancy program. One allows him to take, say, three photos which can then be merged to create a panoramic view. It is quite incredible what these various programs can do.

@JudyEv hehehe, I would start intentionally taking out of balance and interesting photos

@Jessicalynnt And I will be careful not to comment on their out-of-balancenessness and interest.

I might adopt that as my excuse. :)

He does indeed. I try not to let him see some of the photos I put up here. Personally sometimes I think he is just too fussy!

@JudyEv that is the downside of a perfectionist!

@41CombedaleRoad It gets a bit wearing sometimes doesn't it? I think your husband likes things done well too, doesn't he?

@JudyEv good point! what matters is it's not sideways and we learned about the unique lamp

As long as trees and lamp posts are standing up straight all is well. :)

@JudyEv so true! mylotters can come up with witty one-liners!

Good thought. I'm making notes of all the 'comebacks' I'll be able to use next time he gets too critical.

I haven't heard of smudge pots. Do they involve heat in some way?

@JudyEv You light smudge pots which send out heat.

Haha. That's what Vince did - spoilt it for me and now I'm paranoid about it. :)

@JudyEv yeah, i guessed it.

That's true and this one was taken out the car window. I feel better now.

@JudyEv I think the picture is beautiful either way myself.

Yes, I'm talking about sloping horizons. Mostly I manage to get them straight nowadays although my natural inclination seems to be to slant slightly to one side too. And once I wouldn't have really noticed if they weren't straight but now I do.

I guess it depends a lot on the photo. As long as trees are standing straight up all is well. :)

I'm glad someone else has this problem. I had to find a photo of some months ago to find a horizon that was 'out of whack' so that means I must be improving. Husbands are a pain sometimes aren't they? :)

@JudyEv Yes Judy, sometimes they are a pain, they are lucky that we love them.

@LadyDuck Indeed they are. Vince told me yesterday I was the laziest wife he'd ever had because I wouldn't get up and get him something that was nearer to him anyway!

@JudyEv No, it's not. Now it will be on both of our minds when we take pictures.

That's exactly the problem. I never saw it or worried about it until Vince pointed it out. I'ts not fair!

Thanks. I'll do that. I have a little list of 'excuses' or 'reasons' now so I'm set.

I have got worse ones but I couldn't find them. Once, I wouldn't have noticed it either. Vince is always spoiling things for me! Now I get paranoid about my horizons!

@JudyEv Yes, but it is simple to rotate the photograph and align it.

@Asylum The true horizon is always level but is rarely seen in photos (except seascapes, &c). Often the only guide you have is the vertical/horizontal nature of buildings, lamp posts, telegraph poles or even trees, if any. Sometimes it just 'feels' wrong and a little rotation can correct it.

That's very true but IF they should be horizontal and they aren't - then it can look strange.

@JudyEv There is never a situation where we can say we know everything. Learning is a continuous process and I see it even here. Thanks. .

Not all horizons are level but sometimes we tip the camera a bit when we take a photo. That's what I used to do but not so often now.

@JudyEv yeahhh..lol

It's great to have your own personal photo editor isn't it?

@JudyEv A likely outcome no doubt.

I can just see all the myLotters taking photos with nice level horizons!

@JudyEv I think my head is tilted which is why my pictures are. I had an eye doctor once who told me I needed to have special correction in my eyes because the horizontal was off. They put some kind of prism in my glasses so I wasn't hanging my head almost on my shoulder so I was seeing straight. I no longer have prism in my glasses, but I think my head must still be tilted a little bit.

@just4him When I take a photo now I'll the camera 'straight' to my way of thinking but when I check the horizon it tilts off to one side.

I don't think he would be appalled but now he has mentioned it a few times it really hits me in the eye if mine aren't straight.

Edit feature on what? I use Microsoft Office Picture Manager but Vince has more advanced applications. Maybe I just need to look harder.