Perspective Correction on Real Estate Question...

Here's the non-corrected image.

IMHO the corrected view will be perceived as being reasonably accurate by potential buyers as verticals are more close to vertical, etc., while the uncorrected view will be seen by potential buyers as a less than professional photograph/representation of the property. When I sold my previous house, the photographer carefully levelled everything from his tripod in each room, used an appropriate lens for each shot and touched everything up in post production, including the video walk-thru. We talked at length about the professional issues such as distortion and misrepresentation, and he acknowledged that it was rampant in the business at the lower end, but said at the higher end a much higher standard was expected by realtors and potential clients.

I think it looks more spacious, or at least inviting, in the corrected photo.

Did you ever hear of truth in advertising? Using a wide angle lens to present a room as being larger than it is is no different than presenting a low price, then when buyers show up explaining that the rooms are actually much smaller than they appear in the photos and the price is actually much higher.

I saw a show on HGTV in which a young couple was being transferred to the west coast. They had gone out to look at some houses but were undecided. A brother-in-law sent a videotape of the interior of one of the houses that they had looked at. I could tell that it was taken with a very wide angle lens. The women gushed about how the rooms were much larger than she remembered. I hope she went out and took another look before she signed a contract.

Have I ever heard of "truth in advertising"? James, my friend, I have been in advertising for more than 25 years, and I can assure you...I have never heard of "truth in advertising"!

The cars you see on TV, what Viagra will do for your sex life, to the gorgeous girls in your magazines bathing in Oil of Olay...all exaggerations of the truth. I'm sorry man, but that's the way of the ad world.

However, I do think Steven makes a strong case for using the corrected images for the project, based on what his photographer did with his house photos.

I also have a real estate photographer friend that always corrects his images. I thought he was just being a fuddy-duddy.

Appreciate all the responses guys, thanks so much.

Jeff Kruzic

"When I correct the barrel distortion with perspective correction (PSP), my image loses the wide-angle look"

(18mm * 1.5) * (3008/2621) = 31mm field of view. Yup, it looks like the way it should be, a little wide but not too wide.

I like the corrected version also. Even people who are not into photography will think that the walls tilting out and the ceiling wider than the floor looks very amateurish. (Or could it be that the house is sitting on a poor foundation and the walls really are tilting? ;-)

I see little barrel distortion: the problem with the uncorrected version is the verticals, and that is because the camera was aimed downwards. You might like to do more photos, this time with the axis of the lens horizontal. Quickest route is to use a spirit level.

The corrected version looks just a tad over-corrected for verticals but not quite corrected enough for barrel distortion. Next time, try to get the entire table and chair set in the foreground. That will sell the wide angle look better. And by all means, level the camera as others have mentioned. Crop later if you have to.