Straighten Perspective

Have you ever visited one of Europe’s magnificent cathedrals? The light can be extraordinary, with stained-glass windows and dramatic shafts of daylight. They are also difficult places to photograph. The buildings are enormous, the windows are often high above you, and the contrast between the bright exterior and the darker interior can be considerable. Photographing upwards can also make the walls and windows appear to converge.

This article looks at using perspective correction in Photoshop to make a rectangular subject, such as a window, appear more regular in the final image.

Using the Perspective Crop tool

1. Choose the Perspective Crop tool. In older versions of Photoshop, it was grouped with the Crop tool.
2. Click near the four corners of the subject you want to correct, following the edges of the window or architectural feature as accurately as possible.
3. Adjust the corner handles so that the crop boundary follows the shape you want to make rectangular. You can reposition the edges and corners to include as much of the photograph as possible.
4. Review the preview and apply the crop when you are happy with the result.

A word about perspective

Perspective correction changes the geometry of the image. It can make architectural features look more regular, but it also stretches and resamples parts of the photograph. Strong corrections can reduce image quality, particularly near the edges. You may also lose part of the frame when the image is cropped.

For a more natural result, consider using a tilt-shift lens or moving further away and keeping the camera more level when taking the photograph. Software correction is useful, but it cannot restore detail that was never recorded.

Historical note: The screenshots refer to an older version of Photoshop. The Perspective Crop tool and related perspective controls may be located differently in current releases.