Correcting Perspective

[todd palmer]

<p>I've got this shot of a lighthouse that I like. It's taken at 18mm, and so there is a noticeable perspective problem. I've got Photoshop Elements 6 and I've played around with the Transform, but they all wind up looking equally unnatural. Suggestions, please.</p>

[todd palmer]

<p>Sorry, here's the picture.</p><div></div>

[pbarnes]

<p>Is there a Perspective option in the crop tool in PE6? - I use it in Photoshop as it is often good at solving these sorts of issues, it is a check box in the options associated with the tool, but only becomes available once you have selected a crop.</p>

[john v.]

<p>On the Mac version of PE6 (I suspect the PC version will be similar), choose "Filter" on the top menu bar and select "Correct Camera Distortion" from the drop down menu. From there, you can correct such things as perspective, pincushion/barrel distortion and even rotate the image if necessary. I've found it more useful than using transform.</p>

[charlesheckel]

<p>You have a problem if you think you have a problem. The tilt in the lighthouse is due to your low point of view, and it's something we would see in the first glimpse of the scene, though we'd build up a "corrected" picture with the multiple fixations that are part of perception.</p>

<p>Your lighthouse is now well-placed in your picture. Fixing the perspective would move it to the outside, disturbing the original proportions. If you just have to fix it, select it, ctl-J it to a new layer, and rotate it slightly with the Move tool. You'll have some skyscape to clone in and a rocky slope to be touched up.</p>

<p>But there's nothing wrong with a little lighthouse leaning forward slightly to take in the last rays of the setting sun. ;-)</p>

[franklin_white]

<p>I agree with the last response. This is a great composition, and you want the lighthouse to stay where it is. Anything operation that involves a crop that moves it over to the left would not be good.</p>

[tobey_bilek]

Even being a stickler for straight builds and non distorted straight lines, I will vote for leave it alone.

 

The perspective control feature in PTLens rotates from the center of the vertical edge rather than the bottom corners thus keeping the free space on the left. You can get a free trial.

 

You can also make a new layer, rotate that layer, then mask out the right side of the top layer, Google for how to make a layer mask for elements. There is a work around. You can also make any afjustment layer but no adjustment. Then use the provided mask for that layer.

 

Lastly there is the eraser tool you can use on the right side of the top layer.

[tomwatt]

<p>Leave it be. I 'get it', without the need for correction.<br>

To do perspective corrections, I usually use the Transform/Skew command, and then manually work the image to suit myself. I have never been happy with the automated corrections, but then maybe that's just me.</p>

[sketch_tbhotmail.com]

<p>There should be a Correct Camera Distortion filter in there somewhere, I just saw it on the Adobe website. Usually good for these things... on the downside, you'll have to crop it afterwards</p>

[sketch_tbhotmail.com]

<p>Here's a 5 second fix...</p><div></div>

[john_houghton]

<p>This took more than 5 seconds. I remapped the image using a panorama stitching program (PTGui), and reprojected it in a cylindrical projection, which gives a better rendering of the lighthouse. There's a little cloning of blank corners.</p>

[emil_ems5]

<p>John,<br>

Your method seems to me to correct the original imbalance in a correct manner. Could you please be more explicit about how you used GUI to that effect? I have a lot of pictures of houses that I never manage to correct the perspective of in Photoshop in a satisfactory manner. I would like to learn your method and am sure that many others would too. Could you do a tutorial on this? I would highly appreciate it.</p>

[todd palmer]

<p>OK, well some good ideas here. I certainly consider the 'leave it alone' approach valid. From a photographers point of view, it might even be preferrable. I tried the layer mask approach and here's what I got - not bad really. I did a little cloning so that I wouldn't have to crop too severely. Which do you prefer?</p>

[todd palmer]

<p>OK, well some good ideas here. I certainly consider the 'leave it alone' approach valid. From a photographers point of view, it might even be preferrable. I tried the layer mask approach and here's what I got - not bad really. I did a little cloning so that I wouldn't have to crop too severely. Which do you prefer?</p><div></div>

[pbarnes]

<p>Todd,<br>

I think you have turned a snapshot into a fine photograph with this fix. If it were mine, I would lighten up the lighthouse to draw the eye to it more, and also lighten the foreground rocks a bit.</p>