Some theorists argue that vertical framing is a cutting-edge aesthetic. This approach abandons the conventional wide (landscape) orientation made popular by Hollywood and television. Proponents of shooting “tall” say that it’s a natural consequence of the way most people hold their phones when making calls, reading email, or texting. We’ve previously reported on those promoting vertical framing here. But there is an issue we overlooked. Whatever the future may bring, those shooting vertically today need to be aware of the consequence of sharing  video via YouTube. Currently, YouTube plays back all uploaded videos horizontally. A video shot vertically will appear with horizontal black bars that fill in the unused screen real estate. This is known as “letter boxing.” Here’s an example from a recent video shot during a lockdown on a college campus. If you want to exhibit your work on YouTube and find the black bars distracting, simply train yourself to shoot horizontally. This requires only a quarter turn to the left or right.