Why are people still making vertical videos?
Simple answer - It’s the preferred format on Instagram, because most IG users are using it in vertically-oriented phones. However, there is a bit of a move toward orientation-agnostic square videos.
I agree that they should split the difference and make square format the standard phone video format. Square format was in fact common for many decades, during the era of twin-lens reflex cameras like the Rolleicord as well as single-lens cameras like the Hasselblad which were used to shoot many amazing space photos. The square can also be cropped to be more vertical or more horizontal when desired.
I know that computer users such as myself, who prefer accessing all of the world’s information on a proper screen and typing with a real keyboard instead of my clumsy thumbs, are increasingly marginalized in favor of mobile device users. But at least throw us a bone here.
Now I’m imagining what would happen if landscape orientation through software became default – a load of millions of smarterthantheownerphone users screaming what a waste and a ripoff that the whole screen is not occupied by the image when held vertical, without thinking of moving it (or insisting on holding it vertical because “it’s a phone, not a camera, it’s supposed to be held this way” :rolleyes: ). Even more inevitably if we went to square-format default 'cause then there would *always *be unused real estate.
Myself I use the smartphone orientations as composition tools themselves. If I want to take an upward-POV shot of the Milford Plaza sign, I use portrait orientation. If I want to show the crowd at the event filling the whole parking lot, I move it to landscape.