How to correct perspective distortion in photos

When you take a photograph of a building, it can sometimes look as if its outer edges are collapsing into the centre of the picture. Fortunately there are ways around this. — dpa

When you take a photograph of a building, it can sometimes look as if its outer edges are collapsing into the centre of the picture.

This is known as perspective distortion and it's particularly apparent in the case of high buildings or objects at the edge of the picture which are shot at close range with a smartphone or a wide-angle lenses.

Fortunately, there are two ways to fix the issue, according to c't magazine: one when you're taking the photo and the other later when editing it on the computer.

If possible, photograph the object at a distance or take the picture from a higher position. Failing that, you can use photo editing software to correct the distortion.

Most of these programs have a function to correct perspective. They do this by stretching the upper part of the photo outwards and upwards until the natural proportions are restored.

However, this method means that outer parts of the image will be lost. To make sure that this doesn't adversely affect the subject of your photo leave plenty of room around it when you take the picture. — dpa