Why Do Camera Photos Display Sideways?
When you hold a camera sideways to take a portrait-orientation shot, the sensor still captures pixels in its native landscape layout. The camera records an EXIF orientation tag that tells software how to rotate the image for display. Problems occur when that tag is ignored.
What is EXIF Orientation?
EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) is metadata embedded in every photo. The orientation field tells viewers whether to rotate or flip the image. When software ignores this field — or when the tag is lost during file transfer — photos appear rotated from how you intended.
Common Scenarios That Cause Issues
Photos imported from an SD card, emailed between devices, uploaded to web services, or opened in older image viewers often lose their EXIF orientation. Drone and GoPro footage is especially prone because the camera's physical orientation differs from a handheld camera. This tool lets you visually correct the orientation so the image displays properly everywhere.