# Help with a project - Disortion - See Photo



## Parker219 (Sep 9, 2015)

Hello,

This client is really picky about distortion and lens corrections in general.

I have this photo and its been giving me problems.

No matter what I cant get everything to be vertical.

You can see if I use photoshops free transform, I can get some things vertical, but what I am having an issue with is the front entry poles and heaters out front.

If I make the poles lean more to the right, in order to be vertical then the heaters lean EVEN MORE to the right, and as it is, they already look like they are about to fall over.

So how would you go about fixing this issue?

Thank You in advance!

1.


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## vintagesnaps (Sep 9, 2015)

The palm trees in the center look a little odd too, and the porthole window to the left looks a little stretched out. I don't know how to help with the distortion but I'm thinking especially with a picky client that I don't know that I'd use this one. There's a good bit of clutter visually - the round grate in the sidewalk, patches of brown grass especially around the bush, and a piece of siding sticking up that's more noticeable the way the sun's hitting it. My inclination would be to get rid of a lot of the foreground, but what's that blue thing on the sidewalk? that needs to go. I don't know how fixable it is and I don't know how to do that much fixing.

I can't make out the name of the place, Sea something? I don't know what other images you have of this but this seems to have too much foreground and maybe was shot from too much of an angle. Maybe the barrels could have been included but not the dumpsters in the background; I think a different vantage  point might have helped.


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## sm4him (Sep 9, 2015)

vintagesnaps said:


> The palm trees in the center look a little odd too, and the porthole window to the left looks a little stretched out. I don't know how to help with the distortion but I'm thinking especially with a picky client that I don't know that I'd use this one. There's a good bit of clutter visually - the round grate in the sidewalk, patches of brown grass especially around the bush, and a piece of siding sticking up that's more noticeable the way the sun's hitting it. My inclination would be to get rid of a lot of the foreground, but what's that blue thing on the sidewalk? that needs to go. I don't know how fixable it is and I don't know how to do that much fixing.
> 
> I can't make out the name of the place, Sea something? I don't know what other images you have of this but this seems to have too much foreground and maybe was shot from too much of an angle. Maybe the barrels could have been included but not the dumpsters in the background; I think a different vantage  point might have helped.



That blue thing's a cornhole board.
And the name of the place is Sea Dog Brewing Co.

But yeah, I gotta agree. If you already know the client is picky about distortion issues, I'd bin this. It's got so many angles, I don't know that it's really "fixable." Even that little tower on top of the building is kinda distorted looking.
I don't know--maybe a reshoot with a different lens?


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## vintagesnaps (Sep 9, 2015)

Yeah, when I clicked and enlarged it I could see it said Sea Dog. And it dawned on me it's a cornhole game! lol But obviously for me that didn't come to mind, to me it looks like something just got left out on the sidewalk (I didn't know somebody put it there on purpose!).

I might have asked about setting up the cornhole and that yellow thing back there (that seems to be another game) so it looks ready for someone to play (then of course put it back where it was). If they say they don't want it moved I'd walk around and figure out how to get it in the shot.

I couldn't figure out what heaters you meant, now I see - does the sidewalk slope? it looks like it does so maybe that's partly why they seem to lean?

I tried a couple of quick crops, the first is drastic (once in awhile I've had one that I had to grit my teeth and just do it, what's gotta go, has got to go), but then I did one to keep the cornhole game in. That doesn't take care of distortion but it's what I'd be inclined to keep. I feel like I want to step right to see the front of the building better.


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## Parker219 (Sep 9, 2015)

I think you guys are right, I should use a straight on shot.

The client wanted to show that it was close to the interstate, but I am not sure anyone notices that anyway.


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## sm4him (Sep 9, 2015)

Parker219 said:


> I think you guys are right, I should use a straight on shot.
> 
> The client wanted to show that it was close to the interstate, but I am not sure anyone notices that anyway.



If you'd shown me that picture, then said "name anything you see in this photo", nowhere in my response would have been anything about the interstate. Or even a road--heck, I thought that was part of the parking lot I was seeing on the right side.
So yeah, if that's the only way to show its proximity to the interstate, I'd say it wouldn't have much of an impact on people.  That really needs to be stressed in written materials anyway, not in a photo.


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## Parker219 (Sep 9, 2015)

I think they also want me to show the net operating revenue after accounting for seasonal variances on Saturdays....IN THE PHOTO.


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## astroNikon (Sep 9, 2015)

Parker219 said:


> I think they also want me to show the net operating revenue after accounting for seasonal variances on Saturdays....IN THE PHOTO.


Sky High ??

I didn't know there was an interstate there either
and those tall heaters look to be on a sloping sidewalk.  They're in the middle of the photo next to straight poles, so why would they be skewed so much if not on a sloping sidewalk or unflat base.


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## vintagesnaps (Sep 9, 2015)

What interstate?? That's maybe where you have to tactfully point out that a highway sign, or overpass, or exit ramp, or something (equally crappy looking) would have to be in view from their parking lot. Or they need to shove the restaurant closer to the highway! lol

Seriously maybe you would need to point out it's not in view and wouldn't make their restaurant look better anyway in a photo. Show them what you can do that looks even better, that makes their restaurant look fun and inviting.


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## Parker219 (Sep 9, 2015)

For what it's worth, I think I am going to end up something like this....

Darn thing is on a weird hill, so some of it still looks weird, but I think it is better...



2.


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## Ysarex (Sep 9, 2015)

Not hard to straighten up. I left the borders to crop so you'd see the degree of adjustment.

Joe


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## Parker219 (Sep 9, 2015)

^I guess that proves the sidewalk is sloping, the silver heaters just look weird to me slanting like that ^


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## astroNikon (Sep 9, 2015)

next time you are there put a ball in various places and see which way it rolls


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## vintagesnaps (Sep 9, 2015)

That's what that yellow thing is for - toss a ball and see where it goes! lol

I think the front view's better. I'd think about the left side and maybe get rid of the edge of the building next door (and whatever's on the sidewalk, the edge of another cornhole game?? lol do they give out beanbags to toss as customers walk up the sidewalk?). Anyway I'd also rather see less concrete foreground and less of the trash can area to the right.

I'm thinking it might depend how they're going to use the photo(s). If it's going to be viewed fairly small, then the wide view doesn't seem to show the details, I feel like I want to be in a little closer.


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## Designer (Sep 9, 2015)

Parker219 said:


> .. the heaters lean EVEN MORE to the right, and as it is, they already look like they are about to fall over.
> 
> So how would you go about fixing this issue?


I would grab a handful of shims and walk over to the lamps and shim them to vertical.

You're welcome.


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## bianni (Sep 12, 2015)

Corrected the verticals and the leaning heater and reduced the distortion of the barrel on the wall


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## Parker219 (Sep 12, 2015)

^ Wow, I have no clue how you did that, but nice job.


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## epatsellis (Sep 20, 2015)

For future reference, you'd be better served using fixed focal length lenses and creating profiles for each lens/aperture combination or a combination of fixed focal length lens and a Gigapan Epic Pro head, a combination I make use of frequently.

You did say a client, so I'm guessing you're doing some level of "professional" work.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but you really need to get a better handle on your tools and their use. Architectural work demands a different equipment profile and skill set than shooting portraits weddings or lifestyle work does. There are far too many "professional" photographers that are incapable of even the simplest of issues and technical challenges, i.e. keeping buildings straight, eliminating distortions (best done pre capture, e.g. choice of lenses, point of view, etc..) basic color balancing of different light sources, etc. 

Looking through some of your posted images, you seem to be a generalist, not a bad thing, but some focus would go a long way towards truly exceptional images. For example, your food photography ( in this thread) while good, isn't exceptional. Lots of technical issues,  small details missed, excessive or insufficient DOF, poor plate dressing, distracting shapes in the background, etc. Not atypical of work seen contemporaneously, but not up to the standards I'd consider professional. IF you really enjoy food photography, spend some time with a food stylist, you'd be surprised how good even the most simple foods can look. Or get a few books from the library on food styling and spend some time playing.  Get up close and personal with the product, everything I see today looks like somebody's instagram photo of their lunch. We used to use 4x5 and 8x10 view cameras to shoot most product and food work, a DSLR is a whole lot easier, yet harder at the same time without any real control over the plane of focus you lose a very important ability, only partially remedied with a tilt shift lens.


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## Parker219 (Sep 21, 2015)

^ Wow, I love and hate looking back at my old work. Hate it because I think "I thought THAT was good" and love it because I can see how much better my images look now.

I will keep at it and keep getting better.


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## MartinCrabtree (Sep 21, 2015)

Is renting a perspective control lens out of the question? Or a 4X5 camera?


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## Didereaux (Nov 3, 2015)

Why didn't you just rent a tilt/shift lens?


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## Parker219 (Nov 3, 2015)

^ Because the job paid less than the cost to rent a tilt / shift lens.


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## Didereaux (Nov 4, 2015)

Parker219 said:


> ^ Because the job paid less than the cost to rent a tilt / shift lens.


then why waste your time with it?   A workable alternative would have been to to do a multiple vertical and horizontal panorama.  Quite easy actually with todays software.


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## Parker219 (Nov 4, 2015)

Photos had to be exactly 12:8.

Don't worry about what I should have done, since you don't know the details, the work has been turned in, client happy, check cleared, moving on.


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