We need to talk.
I’m sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but a good friend will always give it to you straight.
Your photos…well, some of them have got a “mean lean” going on.
Know that you are not alone! Many of my photos are suffering the same fate. I could swear that one of my legs is shorter than the other.
But chin up, friend! Together we can conquer this ailment and display our photos in the gallery with pride. All it takes is a few minutes at the Adobe Spa of Straight Talk. Let’s get started.
Step 1: Open
- Open a photo (File > Open) with a horizon problem. I found lots of them in my stack of photos. Here are a few examples of ones that I think need fixing:
- Remember the #1 Adobe Rule: Never work on an original photo. To do this, choose Image > Duplicate from the Menu Bar. Adobe will automatically give it a new name. Click OK to accept it or change it to something else. I often will rename mine with a letter A at the end of the original file name (ie. Img_0228A).
- Close the original file so you don’t accidentally get confused.
Step 2: Straighten
- In the Menu Bar, choose Filter > Distort > Lens Correction. A Lens Correction window will pop up and place a grid over the top of your photo.
- Press the letter A to get the Straighten tool. I think A is for Axis.
- Adobe directs us to “Draw a line to straighten the image to a new horizontal or vertical axis.” Here’s how to do that: Place your cursor on the far left side of your photo’s horizon and drag out a line to the far right side of your horizon. Your new line should be sitting right on top of the horizon in your photo.
- When you let go of your mouse, Adobe straightens your picture for you! YAY!
Hint: Need to start over? Pressing the Alt key (Mac: Opt key) turns the Cancel button into a Reset button.
- Click OK to commit to the changes.
Step 3: Crop
Now your photo is all skewed. Let’s fix that.
- Get the Crop tool.
- In the Options Bar, click on the Clear button. This will take all restrictions away from your crop and give you the most flexibility.
If you are concerned about keeping the same proportions as your original photo, press the Front Image button. This button will set the crop dimensions equal to the original photo. So, if it was a 4×6 before you cropped it, it will be a 4×6 after you crop it. - With your cursor, click and drag a selection inside the skewed photo, making sure that all four corners of your selection outline are inside the boundaries of your photo.
Hint: If you need to reposition while you are dragging, press the Space Bar on your keyboard.
- Press Enter on your keyboard to commit to the changes when you are satisfied.
Step 4: Save
Save your straightened photo (File > Save) and move it onto your scrapbook page.
Credits: Tip and scrapbook page by Jen White. Created with Adobe Photoshop CS3. Kit used: “In His World” by Veronica Spriggs.
Download a PDF version of this “Straight Talk” tutorial.
Windows: Right click on the link and choose “Save Target As” or a similar command.
Mac: Click on the link to download the file.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
It always amazes me how many ways there are to do things in PS. I use the guides but this certainly works, too. Thank you as always for the great tutorials. You guys rock!!
I’ve never used the Filter > Distort > Lens Correction option before, and now I know why. It’s really slow. I have used the Ruler Tool (behind the eyedropper) to draw the line (either on what should be horozontal or what should be vertical), then selectect from the main ribbon Image > Image Rotation > Arbitrary. This is much faster than waiting for the Filter window to load, in my opinion. But it was nice to see that option.