An Easy Way to Correct Lens Distortion and Vignetting
photo by AndreyPopov via iStock
Lens Distortion and Vignetting
All lenses - even professional ones that cost thousands of dollars - can create defects in photos that diminish their overall quality and visual appeal.
This includes distortion, in which lines that are straight appear to have a curve to them, and vignetting, in which the corners of the image appear to be darkened.
In this quick tutorial, you’ll learn how to correct lens distortion and vignetting quick and easily.
For demonstration purposes, Exposure X5 is used to show how to make these corrections in post-processing.
If you don’t already have Exposure, you can download a free 30-day trial.
Let’s get started!
How to Correct Lens Distortion
YouTube Screenshot/Exposure Software
What makes the process of correcting lens distortion so easy with Exposure is that it has a vast library of lens profiles specifically designed to remove any distortion in the image.
Using the Amount slider, you can adjust how much or how little the profile for your image influences how the image looks.
YouTube Screenshot/Exposure Software
To get the most control, adjust the Amount manually, that way you can keep an eye on lines in the image (like those highlighted in red above) and make the fine adjustments to make them appear exactly straight.
However, in most situations, the Barrel Slider is the only tool you need to use.
YouTube Screenshot/Exposure Software
The Barrel Slider (highlighted in red above) adjusts for pincushion distortion, which results in straight lines bending inward, or barrel distortion, in which lines bend outward.
This single slider can correct either of these issues in a matter of seconds.
You can also use the Midpoint Slider to change the shape of the correction. That is, it controls how much of the effect is added to the middle of the shot versus the corners of the shot.
YouTube Screenshot/Exposure Software
Just be aware that using this slider at extreme levels can cause wrapping effects to occur, so using it judiciously is recommended.
Lastly, you can make adjustments to the Asymmetry slider to gain finer control over distortion in the corners of the photo.
Note in the screenshot above how the Barrel, Midpoint, and Asymmetry sliders have been adjusted very little, yet the difference in this shot and the first one in this section is quite extreme. A little goes a long way!
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How to Correct Vignetting
YouTube Screenshot/Exposure Software
Though vignetting can sometimes be used to add artistic flair to a photograph, vignetting is typically an unwanted consequence of the lens used to take the photo.
Using Exposure, you can quickly remove vignetting for a cleaner shot.
The Vignette Correction balances out the darkening in the corners by using the Lens Profile of the lens that was used.
Then, simply adjust the Strength Slider as needed for each image in which vignetting appears.
YouTube Screenshot/Exposure Software
Again, using Manual controls gives you an added layer of precision when removing vignetting. As you can see above, manipulating the manual controls has significantly brightened the edges of this shot.
Once you’ve made the needed corrections, you might need to adjust the image exposure to ensure the photo is well-exposed.
YouTube Screenshot/Exposure Software
A handy feature of Exposure is that you can turn a vignette correction for a specific lens into a custom preset.
This enables you to apply the same corrections to any images taken with that lens, thereby speeding up the process of removing vignetting even further.
Just click the gear icon at the top of the editing panel (shown above) to create a custom preset. You can also create a custom preset for distortion adjustments and for chromatic aberration adjustments too.
With that, you have a quick and easy way of removing lens distortion and vignetting.
Check out the video above by Exposure to review the process, and be sure to get your 30-day free trial if you don’t already have Exposure!
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