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Author Topic: Lightroom perspective tool - is it reliable?  (Read 215 times)

kers

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Lightroom perspective tool - is it reliable?
« on: November 04, 2026, 09:42:49 am »

I use Lightroom, but for my architectural work I do not use the perspective tool for I do not know what it does exactly.
Good perspective correction takes account of your position in height in relation to the horizon.
A position LR does not know. So how does it work?
If somebody knows more about it I am interested.

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digitaldog

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David Eichler

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Re: Lightroom perspective tool - is it reliable?
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2026, 04:15:14 am »

I use Lightroom, but for my architectural work I do not use the perspective tool for I do not know what it does exactly.
Good perspective correction takes account of your position in height in relation to the horizon.
A position LR does not know. So how does it work?
If somebody knows more about it I am interested.
I do architectural photography and I don't use the LR transform tool much for modifying keystoning. I normally use Photoshop transform for this purpose.
« Last Edit: November 06, 2026, 05:03:51 pm by David Eichler »
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kers

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Re: Lightroom perspective tool - is it reliable?
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2026, 04:55:39 am »

Thanks David, I will have a closer look into it and will pubish the results here.

I also use Photoshop and a guide from Rodenstock that explains how to do it right.
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Chris Kern

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Re: Lightroom perspective tool - is it reliable?
« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2026, 05:52:03 pm »

For simple keystoning correction, Lightroom works well and its tools are very easy to use.  In addition to comprehensive sets of slider-based and automatic corrections, I often use its guided adjustment tool for architectural photos.  The Julieanne Kost video Andrew cited provides a clear and concise tutorial.

Photoshop has essentially the same capabilities, plus a Perspective Warp tool that can help (within limits) with very difficult geometry corrections, such as those introduced by stitching a panorama.  However I find it rather finicky—which perhaps reflects my limited Photoshop skills.

But there's a limit to how much and how well post-processing can correct geometric distortion.  I've never worked professionally as a photographer, but I suspect someone doing architectural work for a client would be better off investing in a tilt-and-shift lens and a panorama tripod head than trying to get the perspective right in post.  Or by just standing back far enough when it's possible to work with a lens of the appropriate focal length, using a high-resolution sensor, and cropping so the image is usable straight-out-of-camera.

Almost all the photos I've posted here had their geometry adjusted in Lightroom.
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