# Distorted portrait orientation images **URL:** \ **Category:** Imagery, data, and integrations\ **Created:** [August 16, 2023, 7:34pm UTC](https://forum.mapillary.com/t/distorted-portrait-orientation-images/7314 "2023-08-16T19:34:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mgorfer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.mapillary.com/mgorfer/32/72016_2.png) [@mgorfer](https://forum.mapillary.com/u/mgorfer)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 7:34pm UTC](https://forum.mapillary.com/t/distorted-portrait-orientation-images/7314/1 "2023-08-16T19:34:51Z")
Hello everyone. I just started using Mapillary recently, with the main intention to improve hiking trails in OSM. During a recent hike, I took some pictures in portrait orientation with my phone. I uploaded them afterwards, using the Mapillary Uploader. All of them got weirdly distorted. Here are two examples: > **[Mapillary](https://www.mapillary.com/app/?pKey=988837722383378)** > > Street-level imagery, powered by collaboration and computer vision. > **[Mapillary](https://www.mapillary.com/app/?pKey=553103953562920)** > > Street-level imagery, powered by collaboration and computer vision. In the preview here, and also when I download the image again from Mapillary, they are just normal portrait orientation photos. I know that the Android App just does not support portrait images at all. Should I just stop uploading portrait orientation images? And as a follow-up question. Is there a method to manually turn these single pictures into the right direction? Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![boris](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.mapillary.com/boris/32/71767_2.png) [@boris](https://forum.mapillary.com/u/boris)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 7:48pm UTC](https://forum.mapillary.com/t/distorted-portrait-orientation-images/7314/2 "2023-08-16T19:48:36Z")
Good question - yes, portrait images aren’t really supported. Generally landscape is better because it captures more of what’s around you and less of the ground and the sky. Ideally you should capture with the Mapillary mobile app which will generate whole sequences of captures so users can see the whole trail in addition to individual photos. ---
**Author:** ![mgorfer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.mapillary.com/mgorfer/32/72016_2.png) [@mgorfer](https://forum.mapillary.com/u/mgorfer)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 8:38pm UTC](https://forum.mapillary.com/t/distorted-portrait-orientation-images/7314/3 "2023-08-16T20:38:00Z")
Thank you for your answer! This hike I tracked was more of a mountaineering activity, so most of the sequence would have been the phone looking straight at some stones while I am climbing up and down the mountain. Also, because it is so steep, I could actually capture more of the track using the portrait orientation photo. But I will try to get a better hiking setup for my phone, to improve the sequence making for future hikes. And is there a recommendation for my second question? A way to direct single pictures towards a specific direction? ---
**Author:** ![boris](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.mapillary.com/boris/32/71767_2.png) [@boris](https://forum.mapillary.com/u/boris)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 9:18pm UTC](https://forum.mapillary.com/t/distorted-portrait-orientation-images/7314/4 "2023-08-16T21:18:59Z")
Thanks! There is no way to manually direct pictures towards a specific direction, but if you shoot things as a sequence, Mapillary is meant to figure out the direction automatically based on a technique called structure from motion. In practice there are some bugs there that the team is currently looking into. ---
**Author:** ![bob3bob3](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.mapillary.com/bob3bob3/32/68393_2.png) [@bob3bob3](https://forum.mapillary.com/u/bob3bob3)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 1:31am UTC](https://forum.mapillary.com/t/distorted-portrait-orientation-images/7314/5 "2023-08-17T01:31:18Z")
@boris Would you please confirm that specific directions are not able to be set? I use the mapillary\_tools CLI that sources its GPS info from an NMEA file without using direction interpolate, eg 2023-08-14 12:01:33,583 - DEBUG - CLI param: verbose: True 2023-08-14 12:01:33,583 - DEBUG - CLI param: import\_path: /mybook/mupload/20230814WB/process 2023-08-14 12:01:33,583 - DEBUG - CLI param: skip\_subfolders: False 2023-08-14 12:01:33,583 - DEBUG - CLI param: skip\_process\_errors: False 2023-08-14 12:01:33,583 - DEBUG - CLI param: filetypes: gopro, image, camm, video, blackvue 2023-08-14 12:01:33,583 - DEBUG - CLI param: overwrite\_all\_EXIF\_tags: True 2023-08-14 12:01:33,583 - DEBUG - CLI param: overwrite\_EXIF\_time\_tag: False 2023-08-14 12:01:33,583 - DEBUG - CLI param: overwrite\_EXIF\_gps\_tag: False 2023-08-14 12:01:33,583 - DEBUG - CLI param: overwrite\_EXIF\_direction\_tag: False 2023-08-14 12:01:33,584 - DEBUG - CLI param: overwrite\_EXIF\_orientation\_tag: False 2023-08-14 12:01:33,584 - DEBUG - CLI param: device\_make: Logitech 2023-08-14 12:01:33,584 - DEBUG - CLI param: device\_model: C300 2023-08-14 12:01:33,584 - DEBUG - CLI param: add\_file\_name: False 2023-08-14 12:01:33,584 - DEBUG - CLI param: add\_import\_date: False 2023-08-14 12:01:33,584 - DEBUG - CLI param: geotag\_source: nmea 2023-08-14 12:01:33,584 - DEBUG - CLI param: geotag\_source\_path: /home/user/Action Active/Nomad/GPS Tracks/20230814.nmea 2023-08-14 12:01:33,584 - DEBUG - CLI param: interpolation\_use\_gpx\_start\_time: False 2023-08-14 12:01:33,584 - DEBUG - CLI param: interpolation\_offset\_time: 0.0 2023-08-14 12:01:33,584 - DEBUG - CLI param: offset\_angle: 225.0 2023-08-14 12:01:33,585 - DEBUG - CLI param: offset\_time: 0.0 2023-08-14 12:01:33,585 - DEBUG - CLI param: cutoff\_distance: 50.0 2023-08-14 12:01:33,585 - DEBUG - CLI param: cutoff\_time: 180.0 2023-08-14 12:01:33,585 - DEBUG - CLI param: interpolate\_directions: False 2023-08-14 12:01:33,585 - DEBUG - CLI param: duplicate\_distance: 0.25 2023-08-14 12:01:33,585 - DEBUG - CLI param: duplicate\_angle: 90.0 (It is also looking left rear of track) It seems to work fine with the camera view direction always correct, including the first (which seems to get messed up when using interpolate) My tools version is a little dated so am concerned. Cheers ---
**Author:** ![mgorfer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.mapillary.com/mgorfer/32/72016_2.png) [@mgorfer](https://forum.mapillary.com/u/mgorfer)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 12:51pm UTC](https://forum.mapillary.com/t/distorted-portrait-orientation-images/7314/6 "2023-08-17T12:51:50Z")
I found a solution for my issue with single pictures. Using the Camera App [Open Camera](https://opencamera.org.uk/) on Android, there is an option to store the compass direction as Exif Tag `Exif.GPSInfo.GPSImgDirection` in the pictures. This tag is used by Mapillary to display the correct direction of the pictures. ---
**Author:** ![boris](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.mapillary.com/boris/32/71767_2.png) [@boris](https://forum.mapillary.com/u/boris)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 2:09pm UTC](https://forum.mapillary.com/t/distorted-portrait-orientation-images/7314/7 "2023-08-17T14:09:28Z")
Super, great. Yes, I should have said that we don’t have UI for this, but glad you got it going!