| Cameras can be held in two positions: horizontal or | | | | include an automatic mode in which the camera |
| vertical (also knows as landscape and portrait). | | | | rotates the photo based on the orientation reading |
| Photos taken in the vertical position are later on | | | | immediately after the photo was taken using build-in |
| rotated 90 degrees (either clockwise or counter | | | | rotation software. Using this mode the photos saved |
| clockwise). Rotating the photos can be automated if | | | | on the camera memory are already rotated in the |
| your camera sports an orientation sensor. | | | | right direction and no further processing is needed. |
| If you just take a few photos every now and then | | | | Photo download software rotation: Some software |
| rotating them manually is not a big deal. Usually after | | | | can automatically rotate photos as they are |
| downloading the photos to your computer you will | | | | downloaded from the digital camera to the computer |
| browse through them and when viewing a photo | | | | hard disk. Before saving a photo to the hard disk the |
| that needs to be rotated you will fix it using your | | | | software checks its orientation and rotates it as |
| software rotate feature. However when taking | | | | needed. |
| hundreds or thousands of photos this process can | | | | Batch photo processing: Software that perform |
| become tedious and long. The good news is that this | | | | batch operations on photos. Usually such software |
| process can be automated if the camera you are | | | | can do many common photo processing operations |
| using includes an orientation sensor. | | | | such as contrast enhancements, re-sampling, red eye |
| An orientation sensor is an electronic device built into | | | | removal and more. They can also rotate photos |
| the camera that can sense if the camera is held | | | | based on the EXIF orientation data. |
| horizontally or vertically and if the camera is flipped or | | | | Photo viewers: Some photo viewers can utilize the |
| not (there are two vertical positions also known as | | | | EXIF orientation data when displaying photos. As |
| 90 degrees or 270 degrees relative to the horizontal | | | | opposed to the other solutions in this case the photo |
| position). We will not get into the details of how this | | | | file is never changed instead every time a photo is |
| sensor works (there are a few options utilizing some | | | | displayed on the computer screen the displayed |
| physical feature such as gravitation or magnetic | | | | image is rotated as needed based the photo EXIF |
| fields). | | | | orientation data. Some professionals prefer this |
| When taking a photo the camera saves the | | | | method as it solves the need to rotate photos in |
| orientation sensor reading as EXIT data included in | | | | order to view them while it does not change the |
| the photo file. EXIF stands for Exchangeable Image | | | | original file. Rotating a photo can degrade its quality if |
| File Format and it defines a set of tags and | | | | not done properly and thus leaving the original file |
| semantics that can be added to existing formats | | | | as-is and only rotating the viewed image is a good |
| such as JPG and TIFF to provide more information | | | | way to guarantee no quality loss./li> |
| about the photo. One such piece of information is the | | | | Orientation sensors are a nice addition to the ease of |
| camera orientation. | | | | digital photography. If you plan to take many photos |
| Software can later on use the EXIF orientation data | | | | and you want to save time by automatically fixing |
| to automatically rotate photos as needed. There are | | | | their orientation when downloading them to your |
| some options for how you can utilize this orientation | | | | computer check if your camera includes an |
| data for your benefits, here are a few: | | | | orientation sensor and if it does not make sure that |
| Camera built-in rotation software: Some cameras | | | | your next camera does include one. |