Julius

When I photograph tall objects, the sides converge. What is the name of this phenomenon and what software can be used to correct it. I currently use Lightroom and am shooting with a Nikon 7100 with a Nikkor 18 - 140 lens.

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

Keystoning.

skipwv Loc: West Virginia

You can make Vertical adjustments in the Transform section of the Lightroom Develop module. As with any, don’t overcook them.

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

www.smartphotoeditor.com for a free trial of this very useful app by Anthropics Technology.
The straightening tool is so easy to use and really does a good job. The other tools are also especially helpful, and different to everyone elses.

sodapop Loc: Bel Air, MD

You can also do this in Lightroom, the transformation group in the Develop Module. Very easy

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Also referred to as convergence. It's most noticeable when a wide angle lens is tilted away from the horizontal. Tilting it up the way produces convergence towards the top and tilting it down the way produces convergence towards the bottom. Convergence towards the top is corrected by going left with the Vertical slider in the Transform section in Lightroom.

Guzser02

Hi, skippww is correct.
In addition this "keystoning" effect, when not desired can be corrected via most image editors.
I use a two-step solution: 1. Lens correction 2. Distortion correction.
In extreme cases like architectural photography, I use NIK 3/Perspective Efex which is quite a sophisticated tool.

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

This effect is called keystoning because it resembles a keystone. It is caused by parallax. Simply the lens’ first element is on a angle to a perpendicular surface. That is why buildings look as if they are falling backwards.
To correct this phenomenon, you need a Tilt-Shift lens. It will bend the image path to correct for parallax. Because Of the mechanism this lens tends to be a little more expensive than a lens of comparable focal length. I recommend renting this lens first. Playing with the lens and it’s mechanism does take some time. Using a tripod for camera and lens is a must. You will have to “jigger” the mechanism to get the effect you seek. Be Patient! It does take some time. Since I shoot Canon, I use a Rokinon 24mm Tilt Shift. It does very nicely for tall buildings in New York City and elsewhere. So I’m not sure what would work for your Nikon. I have gotten nice results with this lens for photographing model trains and street scenes. However, it is not good for macro photos of flowers or insects.

Happy Shooting!

cdayton

Photoshop Elements has a perspective tool.

cedymock Loc: Irmo, South Carolina

Not a complaint or critique just funny. Having a background in retail I couldn't understand how pricing my inventory helped in photography, learning is a good thing.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Keystoning is not parallax.

Keystoning is the phenomenon that occurs when you have a visual vanishing point - it's a matter of perspective.

Parallax in photography occurs in two main situations. Currently, it happens when you are shooting a panorama and pivoting the camera to take subsequent images for stitching, and the nodal, or "no parallax" point is not the axis of rotation. The result is that foreground objects relative to background objects seem to "shift" their position revealing slightly different parts of what is behind the foreground objects. In the days of rangefinder and twin lens reflex cameras, the view through the viewfinder was slightly different than the view seen by the lens used to take the picture. Some solutions included parallax correction to place the viewfinder lens at the exact same point as the picture lens - and this was usually in the form of a camera platform that could be raised by the exact same amount as the distance between the optical centers of both the picture and viewing lenses. Another approach in a rangefinder camera was to "re-aim" the viewfinder, pointing it down as the focus distance was decreased.

Example of keystone distortion and how to correct it in Photoshop:

https://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/keystoning/

Example and explanation of Parallax as it occurs in stitched panorama images:

https://fstoppers.com/education/beginners-guide-parallax-and-how-avoid-it-when-shooting-panoramas-485141

Re-pointing the viewfinder lens using a frameline shift mechanism in a rangefinder camera

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG8qEEVYORQ

Keystoning is common, and if you think about it you don't even need a camera to see it. Stand in front of a tall building and just look up - the convergence will be there. Look down a railroad track - the convergence will be there. Using a wider than normal lens just accentuates the perspective distortion.

The best way to avoid keystoning is to keep the camera level, which usually means cropping out a lot of foreground. Using a shift lens will allow you to shift the front element upwards while keeping the sensor plane parallel to the subject plane, which eliminates keystoning. The least desirable method is to use digital manipulation to adjust the perspective. It usually works ok with mild keystoning, but when it is really bad, you lose a lot of pixels.

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

If you want to sign your life away.

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

Thank you for your correction. I used a poor choice of terms. I started using a TS lens a short while ago. It is a good go-to for tall buildings in NYC.

Thank you for your corrections. I do appreciate it a great deal.

Happy Shooting!

sodapop Loc: Bel Air, MD

I have used it successfully and Lightroom and in PHotoshop..My life is not "away", in fact I am enjoying it quite a lot. Thanks in part to a great piece of very reasonably priced software.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

When using a 'Shift' lens, to correct perspective distortion on a tall building, the whole lens is raised (Shifted) up from the central axis point, not just the front element. (1st. year student stuff).