How can you use the perspective warp tool to correct distortion in architectural photos?

1 What is perspective warp?

Perspective warp is a feature in Photoshop and Lightroom that allows you to modify the perspective of your photo by creating a grid and dragging its corners and edges. You can use it to straighten lines, adjust angles, and change the viewpoint of your image. Perspective warp is especially useful for architectural photos, as it can help you correct the distortion caused by the lens or the camera position. For example, you can make a building look taller, wider, or more symmetrical with perspective warp.

3 How to create a grid with perspective warp?

Before you can warp your photo, you need to create a grid that covers the area you want to adjust. The grid consists of four planes that you can resize and reposition to match the perspective of your image. To create a grid in Photoshop, select the perspective warp tool and click on the photo to place the first plane. You can drag the corners and edges of the plane to align it with the edges of the building or the horizon. To add more planes, click on the edge of the existing plane and drag it to extend it. You can also click anywhere on the photo to create a new plane. To create a grid in Lightroom, select the guided tool and click on four points that define the lines you want to straighten. You can drag the points to adjust them as needed.

4 How to warp your photo with perspective warp?

Once you have created a grid that covers your photo, you can warp it to change the perspective. In Photoshop, click on the Warp button at the top of the screen to enter the warp mode. You can then drag the corners and edges of the grid to reshape your photo. You can also hold down the Alt or Option key to move one corner independently, or hold down the Shift key to move two corners together. To apply the changes, click on the checkmark icon at the top of the screen. In Lightroom, the warping is done automatically after you create the grid. You can fine-tune the results by using the sliders in the Transform panel, such as Distortion, Vertical, Horizontal, Rotate, Scale, and Aspect.

6 How to save and export your photo after perspective warp?

When you are happy with the results of your perspective warp, you can save and export your photo to share it with others. In Photoshop, you can save your photo as a PSD file to preserve the layers and the editing history, or as a JPEG, PNG, or TIFF file to reduce the file size and make it compatible with other programs. To save your photo, go to File > Save As and choose the format and location you want. To export your photo, go to File > Export and choose the settings and options you want. In Lightroom, you can save your photo as a catalog file to keep the original and the edited versions, or as a JPEG, PNG, or TIFF file to export it to another folder or device. To save your photo, go to File > Save Photo and choose the name and location you want. To export your photo, go to File > Export and choose the settings and options you want.

7 Here’s what else to consider

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