Instagram Allows Users to Post Horizontal and Vertical Photos in the Same Carousel
It’s been a bone of contention for photographers on Instagram for some time, but it now appears that the platform finally allows all users to post horizontal and vertical photos in the same carousel.
It’s a feature that was previously available and then taken away. And throughout the past year, some Instagram users have had access to the feature, and some haven’t. One photographer describes feeling like they were being gaslit by the Meta platform.
But in recent weeks, it appears that almost everyone can now post a series of photos in different orientations and aspect ratios. The app will automatically adjust the borders so the photos fit. However, it is difficult to tell since Instagram has never given an official update. PetaPixel has approached Meta for comment.
Jared Polin drew attention to it over the summer, but even then, many users still didn’t have access to the sought-after tool. For photographers, the ability to share a series of photos with different orientations is absolutely crucial.
Before that, it meant fiddly pre-editing for photographers using third-party apps. Or, sticking to a single aspect ratio for the entire carousel and making some brutal cropping choices.
How to Post Vertical and Horizontal Photos in the Same Instagram Post
Open the Instagram app, and select ‘New Post.’ Select multiple photos, don’t forget to include vertical and horizontal ones, and press ‘Next.’
There is a square icon toward the bottom left of the screen. Press that, and there are three options: ‘Mixed, Landscape, and Square’. Selected ‘Mixed’ and that automaically rearranges the borders to fit the photos in their original orientations and aspect ratios.
It’s great that Instagram has finally added support for mixed vertical and horizontal photos. The app’s lurch toward video Reels has been well-documented and has annoyed many photographers.
It was only this year that the app added support for 3:4 aspect ratio photos, a move that pleased photographers who shoot on Micro Four Thirds cameras.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
