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Do you want to learn how to correct perspective in Photoshop and Lightroom?

Being a photographer, especially one who specializes in real estate, is quite challenging. Numerous challenges arise and can throw off the balance of your photo. In such cases, you must enhance or correct the perspective of your real estate photos.

It’s these nuances of image editing that can elevate your work from ‘just another listing’ to ‘must-see’ visuals. 

In this blog post, we’ll show you how to correct perspective in Photoshop and Lightroom. We’ll also discuss what perspective correction is and why this editing technique is essential to create balanced and captivating real estate photos.

Let’s get started!

What Is Perspective Correction?

Perspective correction, sometimes referred to as keystone correction or perspective control, is the process of adjusting and correcting distorted vertical and horizontal lines in an image. 

This technique is commonly used in real estate photography to enhance the overall appearance of a property by making it look more realistic and visually appealing. 

By correcting converging lines, perspective correction helps to create a more accurate representation of the property, and in some cases, makes it appear as spacious as possible.

Why Is Perspective Correction Needed in Property Photos?

When tackling real estate photography’s challenges, we often face constraints that our cameras and physical abilities can’t easily overcome. 

The height at which we can shoot and the perspective our lenses offer frequently leave us with images that don’t quite capture buildings as they’re meant to be seen.

This is where simple yet effective tools come into play like a tripod or the use of a drone. These tools defy our height limitations, quite literally taking your photography to new levels.

However, sometimes a tripod or drone alone isn’t enough. That’s when lens choice becomes critical. 

Opting for wide-angle or fisheye lenses may seem like the ideal solution to encompass more space and depth. Yet, they often introduce unwanted distortion—bending straight lines and warping edges into curves.

Here’s the good news: these perspective hiccups aren’t the end of the line. 

With the right real estate photo editing techniques, particularly those geared toward perspective correction, these issues can be swiftly addressed, ensuring your final images showcase properties in their best light—balanced, proportional, and distortions-free.

Before we dig deeper into how to correct perspective in Photoshop, let’s take a look at some benefits of this editing technique in real estate photography.

Benefits of Perspective Correction in Real Estate Photos

As a real estate photographer, you’re not just capturing images; you’re creating first impressions. 

Perspective correction isn’t just a touch-up, it’s an essential tool that can significantly enhance how you present properties. 

Here are some benefits of perspective correction:

  • When performing perspective correction, your photographs will not only reflect reality; they’ll highlight the best angles of any real estate, making every property shine
  • It also allows photographers to conquer the limitations of smartphone and compact camera photography with ease. No building is too tall, no space too wide. With perspective correction, you’re no longer constrained by the hardware in your hands but empowered to produce work that aligns with what the naked eye naturally perceives
  • Lastly, it lets you craft images that resonate with potential buyers and make them see what you see – beauty, proportion, and potential

Through the lens of your camera and the skill of perspective correction, you’re not just taking pictures; you’re telling stories and selling dreams.

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How to Correct Perspective in Photoshop (3 Simple Ways)

Now that you know the benefits of correcting the perspective in your property photos, let’s take a look at how to tackle this in Photoshop and Lightroom using 3 simple techniques. 

1. Simplify Scenes With Smart Cropping

Imagine a photograph where the main subject—the property—gets lost in the chaos of a busy background. 

That’s where smart cropping becomes your first essential editing technique. 

By trimming the edges of your image, you ensure your viewers’ eyes are drawn directly to the real estate masterpiece you’re showcasing. 

When nothing noteworthy resides at the periphery, bring your photo dimensions into focus and let the property take center stage. 

Here’s how to crop your images in Photoshop:

Step 1. Simply, open your image in Photoshop, and select the Crop Tool in the Tools menu. 

Selecting the Crop Tool in Photoshop

Step 2. Next, frame your photo by dragging the corner handles around the part of the image you want to keep. 

Framing the photo using the Crop Tool in Photoshop

Step 3. Lastly, press Enter to crop out the edges, and that’s it! 

Cropping isn’t just about fitting a picture into a frame; it’s about sculpting your image to highlight its true hero.

2. Mastering the Grid With Vertical and Horizontal Corrections

Now, let’s tackle those lines. Your property’s walls and frames should stand tall and true, not crooked as if they’re ready to topple. 

By aligning your image with the precision of the x- and y-axis, you can correct those vertical and horizontal lines that might otherwise distract and detract. 

The result? A photograph that exudes professionalism and polish. 

To learn how to do this, you can check out our video tutorial on how to straighten verticals in Lightroom:

Say goodbye to wobbly angles that scream ‘hobbyist’ and welcome a level of sophistication that reassures viewers that they’re dealing with nothing less than expert imagery.

3. Correct Angles Like a Pro

Lastly, let’s talk about taming rogue angles. Sometimes despite our best efforts, a photo emerges with the horizon slanted, as if the world within it is slipping away. 

Rotating the image for proper angle alignment brings balance back to your composition. 

Your camera may betray you with a nudge during that critical click, but your skills in angle correction will save the day. 

You can use the method we previously used in step 2 to rotate the image. This is what to do:

Step 1. Instead of using the Vertical or Horizontal sliders, simply drag the Rotate slider in the Transform panel to rotate your image, and voila!

The Rotate slider in Lightroom

This will help you fix those trying tilt issues and present a visual narrative that feels grounded and genuine—never forcing viewers to tilt their heads in bewilderment.

Have You Ever Thought To

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Need Help? Hire PhotoUp’s Team of Expert Photo Editors!

Even basic real estate photo editing techniques can be time-consuming. Sitting in front of your computer editing photos all day keeps you from meeting and securing new clients. 

There is an effective alternative – you can always outsource your photo editing.

PhotoUp has a team of highly talented real estate photo editors who are ready to professionally edit and enhance your listing photos. 

Their expert editors can help you with editing services such as:

  • Image correction and enhancement
  • Color and tone adjustments 
  • Window masking and glare reduction
  • Clutter and object removal
  • Line and angle corrections
  • Improper exposure levels
  • HDR editing
  • Harsh shadows, lack of light, etc. 
  • And more.

Best yet, our real estate photo editing service is affordable, starting at the low cost of $1.10 per image depending on the subscription and complexity level.

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Furthermore, we offer so much more than just real estate photo editing…

PhotoUp is a complete one-stop-shop for real estate marketing and also offers additional services such as:

We have everything you need to edit and market real estate photography on one user-friendly platform!

How to Get Started

Getting started using PhotoUp’s real estate photo editing service is super easy.

All you need to do is sign up for a free PhotoUp account, upload your images, choose export setting and turnaround time, and that’s it! In less than 24 hours, you’ll be able to download your beautifully edited images.

PhotoUp Real Estate Photo Editing Uploader Demo

Check out our real estate photo editing uploader tutorial to see how easy it is to get started:

As quick and simple as that!

Give PhotoUp a try today, and get 10 free credits you can use to try any of our services!

Upload your images and our team will take care of correcting the perspective of your images, as well as perform other editing techniques that will enhance your real estate photos to perfection. 

We hope this post helped you learn how to correct perspective in Photoshop and Lightroom. Before you go, you may also want to check out the following resources:

Stina Pettersson

Professional Blogger

Stina is an entrepreneur, digital marketer, and professional blogger who's passionate about real estate photo editing, being outdoors with her pup, and sweaty gym sessions. She loves the written word and has been writing for publications like Forbes and Thrive Global. Originally from Sweden, she's called South Florida her home since 2013.

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