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[Photoshop CC] Apply lens distortion to photo compositing


Theiamania

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Hallo everybody,
I make a photo with an wide angle lens and now i'd like to add some 2d and 3d graphic and vectors. Of course I'd like to preserve the original lens distortion, therefore I need to APPLY lens distortion to my graphics to match with photo distortion. How can I make It? There is a plugin or inside effect in Photoshop?

Many thanks!

P.s. Again, NOT REMOVE but APPLY lens distortion. :mrgreen:
 
Hello Theiamania.

Would it be possible for you to upload examples of both the photo and the graphic? This makes it so much easier for members who might need to experiment in order to help you out. Thanks.
 
Hi IamSam,
here is just an example:

About text, people can easily create a simple text layer... or import a 3d rendering in a layer. The problem is to distort these layers to match original lens distortion.kitchenWidelens.jpgBadroom.jpg
 
Try text warp for text..........

Screen Shot 2015-04-15 at 10.28.49 AM.png

Screen Shot 2015-04-15 at 10.29.52 AM copy.png

Screen Shot 2015-04-15 at 10.33.08 AM.png
 
Last edited:
I also added some SKEW from free transform to match the lines on the wall....

Screen Shot 2015-04-15 at 10.34.49 AM.png

Screen Shot 2015-04-15 at 10.35.08 AM.png
 
Hi IamSam, thanks for your example! Anyway that is not exactly what I mean.
In a video, using many program and/or plugins, you can calculate this lens distortion and apply (or remove) it. I thought it was the same for Photoshop, as well.
 
Other than the sphereize filter in the distort filter menu, I will have to do some checking. There may be some plugins that I'm not aware of. Hopefully someone else will have a better answer for you. Good luck!
 
I probably am preaching to the choir on this topic, but just in case you hadn't been thinking along these directions, let me suggest that you carefully distinguish between "lens distortions" and "perspective distortions", that you use different tools to apply these effects, and that you do so in the correct order, ie, first apply perspective distortions (ie, if the image wasn't shot in the way you want and want to introduce some), and then apply lens distortion to the result of the first step. This exactly mimics the process of capturing an image: The light first arrives at the camera with perspective distortion already in place, THEN it goes through the lens and its effects get further imprinted on the light rays heading towards the sensor.

As I'm sure you are aware, PS has several tools that can simulate perspective distortion effects, so this step shouldn't be a problem.

Unfortunately, there are fewer tools available to add intentional lens distortion in PS. Two that come immediately to mind are:

a) Power Retouche Pro's "Lens Distortion" plugin: http://powerretouche.com/Lens-distortion_plugin_tutorial.htm
- - - This relatively old PS plugin was originally designed to remove lens distortion in the days before lens profiles were introduced into ACR and LR, but fortunately, it has so many different types of adjustments (eg, barrel, pincushion, anamorphic, mixures), and such a large range of adjustment of each, that it can easily be used to introduce intentional lens distortion.

b) Use PS's Puppet Warp: I think it still doesn't offer any way to remember a distortion grid (ie, pins and rotations), but you can use it as a smart object as a workaround to this limitation. Unfortunately, this would be a completely do-it-yourself way of introducing a fixed distortion, but because the distortions that can be introduced by it are *completely* arbitrary (eg, no symmetries to the distortion field as in most lenses), it would take considerable effort to initially set up a specific, desired effect.

Unfortunately, neither of these tools allow one to dial in specified amounts of the various types of lens distortions in the numerical way usually used in the optical design world:
http://www.amazon.com/Lens-Design-Fundamentals-Second-Edition/dp/012374301X or Brown's K-coefficients.

... however, at least the Power Retouch Pro plugin does offer numerical entry of the amounts of the distortions, but in their own units (ie, using their sliders).

HTH,

Tom M
 
Here is a screen shot of the PRP Lens Corrector UI. I have it set up to introduce barrel distortion in one direction and pincushion distortion in the perpendicular direction, and I applied it to an initially rectangular grid. The result is visible in the preview window.

-- Tom M
 

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  • screen_shot-PRP_lens_corrector.jpg
    screen_shot-PRP_lens_corrector.jpg
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I probably am preaching to the choir on this topic, but just in case you hadn't been thinking along these directions, let me suggest that you carefully distinguish between "lens distortions" and "perspective distortions", that you use different tools to apply these effects, and that you do so in the correct order, ie, first apply perspective distortions (ie, if the image wasn't shot in the way you want and want to introduce some), and then apply lens distortion to the result of the first step. This exactly mimics the process of capturing an image: The light first arrives at the camera with perspective distortion already in place, THEN it goes through the lens and its effects get further imprinted on the light rays heading towards the sensor.

As I'm sure you are aware, PS has several tools that can simulate perspective distortion effects, so this step shouldn't be a problem.

Unfortunately, there are fewer tools available to add intentional lens distortion in PS. Two that come immediately to mind are:

a) Power Retouche Pro's "Lens Distortion" plugin: http://powerretouche.com/Lens-distortion_plugin_tutorial.htm
- - - This relatively old PS plugin was originally designed to remove lens distortion in the days before lens profiles were introduced into ACR and LR, but fortunately, it has so many different types of adjustments (eg, barrel, pincushion, anamorphic, mixures), and such a large range of adjustment of each, that it can easily be used to introduce intentional lens distortion.

b) Use PS's Puppet Warp: I think it still doesn't offer any way to remember a distortion grid (ie, pins and rotations), but you can use it as a smart object as a workaround to this limitation. Unfortunately, this would be a completely do-it-yourself way of introducing a fixed distortion, but because the distortions that can be introduced by it are *completely* arbitrary (eg, no symmetries to the distortion field as in most lenses), it would take considerable effort to initially set up a specific, desired effect.

Unfortunately, neither of these tools allow one to dial in specified amounts of the various types of lens distortions in the numerical way usually used in the optical design world:
http://www.amazon.com/Lens-Design-Fundamentals-Second-Edition/dp/012374301X or Brown's K-coefficients.

... however, at least the Power Retouch Pro plugin does offer numerical entry of the amounts of the distortions, but in their own units (ie, using their sliders).

HTH,

Tom M

Great Tom Mann,
anyway, in this case, I'm really talking about a lens distortion. Perpective distortion is a framing/composition problem, shortly something others... In my example I exagerate perspective and used fish eye to be sure people to understand my problem.


About Power Retouche Pro's "Lens Distortion", you said:
"...it has so many different types of adjustments (eg, barrel, pincushion, anamorphic, mixures), and such a large range of adjustment of each, that it can easily be used to introduce intentional lens distortion."
.
But HOW...:rolleyes:

Anyway, I download now a trial copy of it and in the same time ask directly to the Developer IF and HOW can i introduce a calculate distortion. :cool2:

Many thanks for you reply!
 
Theiamania, I'm glad I could help and you liked it.
It's very important to use distort first and then warp.
I didn't mention the blending of the inserted objects.
Because the light source of the main picture ist on the left side, you have to lighten the objects with a white gradient layer.
 
Theiamania, I'm glad I could help and you liked it.
It's very important to use distort first and then warp.
I didn't mention the blending of the inserted objects.
Because the light source of the main picture ist on the left side, you have to lighten the objects with a white gradient layer.

Okay, i notice also (for a text layer) you have to rasterize it to be able to use Edit/Distortion.
And, most important, this tech work great ONLY IF YOU HAVE perspective lines visible in you photo. With these visible reference lines can you match you graphic by using warp. But if you have not some visible perspective lines, or if these lines are FAR from the place where you have to add a graphic/text, as in some specific Landscape photo for example, is not to easy to match lens distortion, cause you don't have any lines reference to guide your warp.
Anyway, this is a great tech.
Unfortunately, I'm on MAc osx , therefore I can not test this sw I found in internet:
http://www.xcitex.com/xcitex-free-motion-analysis-software-utilities-trials-downloads.php

Link direct: http://www.xcitex.com/lens-calculator-xcitex-download-free-software.php

It is a Free utilities.
 
Okay, i notice also (for a text layer) you have to rasterize it to be able to use Edit/Distortion.
And, most important, this tech work great ONLY IF YOU HAVE perspective lines visible in you photo. With these visible reference lines can you match you graphic by using warp. But if you have not some visible perspective lines, or if these lines are FAR from the place where you have to add a graphic/text, as in some specific Landscape photo for example, is not to easy to match lens distortion, cause you don't have any lines reference to guide your warp.

A fully agree with what you say Theiamania.
Though perspective guidelines on a separate layer usually help me to work visually.
Better than nothing, and sometimes a lot guesswork.
 

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