Why Are Pictures Rectangular?

Ever wondered why we make almost every single picture rectangular? This might seen an arbitrary question but actually it has some things to do with composition. First off, paintings are almost always rectangular. Rectangles make the most efficient use of canvas and boards, they make stretching canvas easier, they take up the smallest space being stored. Rectangular pictures go on rectangular walls with more ease. It's easier to frame and matte a rectangle. A non rectangular adjustable easel would be near impossible. Photographic paper would be wasted at some point were we to print ovals or buy oval paper.

Think too that many of the things we photograph are vertical or horizontal lines - whether it be a tree, horizion or building. Many compositions rely on diagonal lines which react with the edges of a rectangular print more effectively.

Oddly the two placs where round makes sense is silicon wafers which are round, though as they typically hold dozens to hundreds of chips on one wafer, even here round is not the most efficient design, and lenses, which project a circular image and we throw away a significant part of that image to achieve a rectangle.

Next time I'm going to talk about square prints - both historically and compositionally - did it occur to you that if you had a square format, you'd never have to hold the camera vertically - hmmm.