Photos distorted when opened

[scottwhiteusa]

I'm trying PSE 4.0 as a trial with the intent to buy, but I'm frustrated with something I'm sure is simple to fix.

When I open a file through PSE from my hard drive, it loses it's original aspect ratio and appears as a perfect square. All of the photo is there, but it's distorted and 'squashed' so it will fit in the square.

How do I open a photo and edit it with it's original size?

Please help, thanks!

Scott.

[Wendy]

Hi Scott ..

... and welcome to the forum :)

Umm that really is a strange one ... not something I have come across before. Maybe one of the others may have some suggestions ..

Wendy

[scottwhiteusa]

I did try CS2 for a bit and it did the same thing. However, a pop up window opened each time and said something like the pixel ratio had been changed for optimum viewing and instructed me on how to change that. I had to click on the View menu, then uncheck an option that started with the word "pixel", but I don't remember what it was. Once unchecked, though, it changed the picture to the normal aspect ratio.

So, I figure it's hidden in there somewhere, it's just not in the same place as it is in CS2.

[PaulH]

I'm trying PSE 4.0 as a trial with the intent to buy, but I'm frustrated with something I'm sure is simple to fix.

When I open a file through PSE from my hard drive, it loses it's original aspect ratio and appears as a perfect square. All of the photo is there, but it's distorted and 'squashed' so it will fit in the square.

How do I open a photo and edit it with it's original size?

Please help, thanks!

Scott.
What's your screen resolution - I think PSE needs 1024 x 768 minimum.
That is probably not the problem....

[scottwhiteusa]

That, I believe, is the exact resolution I have it set on. This completely baffles me.

[Wendy]

Ah ...

You mentioned using CS2 ... it sounds as though your Pixel Aspect Ratio on the images is incorrect.

You can correct that in CS2 but not in Elements.

Where did these images come from ??

Wendy

[scottwhiteusa]

I transferred them directly from my camera to my laptop.

Does this then mean that I have no way of correcting this issue with PSE? That's kind of lousy.

[Wendy]

Ummm ...

I don't know. I'm beginning to wonder if you changed the Pixel aspect ratio on these whilst you were using Photoshop ...

Try taking a few more images, download them and see if they have the same problem ... my guess is that they will be fine.

Let me know what happens :)

Wendy

[scottwhiteusa]

I shall do that and let you know.

I'm afraid I did do something whilst using CS2. It happened a couple of times while using Microsoft's Picture It 9.0, then after adding CS2 to my laptop as well, it happened everytime in Picture It. CS2 would allow me to change the pixel aspect ratio every time, but alas, not PSE.

Thanks for the help.

[Wendy]

Hi ...

If you still have access to Photoshop then you can change then back completely ... you just need to do Image>Pixel Aspect Ratio>Reset Pixel Aspect Ratio on each of the images and then resave them. :)

Wendy

[scottwhiteusa]

Hmmmm. I'll have to redownload the trial version of CS2, but I'm willing to try it. I hope I don't need to as this whole situation applies to 2500 pictures from my recent trip to England/Ireland/Scotland.

[Wendy]

I'm hoping that someone else may have some suggestions :)

Wendy

[Byron Gale]

Scott,

Prior versions of PSE (like CS*) had the ability to adjust to non-square pixels. This ability was removed from PSE4.

Do you, by chance, have a mode on your camera enabled which tailors the image for video (TV) display?

HERE (http://www.adobeforums.com/cgi-bin/webx?128@@.3bbff308) is a thread on the Adobe user-to-user PSE forum for technical issues about the same symptoms, although the origin of the images was a scanner. No solution, but you can at least see what else has been discussed.

THIS (http://www.adobeforums.com/cgi-bin/webx?128@@.3bbce5d8) earlier thread on the same forum deals with the same issues.

Good luck with this!!!

Byron

[Wendy]

Hi Byron ...

How do you do it in PSE3 ... I took a look in the menus earlier today but couldn't find anything :(

WEndy

[Byron Gale]

Wendy,

I don't have an image to test it with, but reading the Adobe forum posts, it appears that you automatically get a pop-up warning/dialog when opening an image with these characteristics - allowing you to make the decision at that point.

I do not know if it is something reachable on the menus.

Byron

[Wendy]

Hi Byron ...

Thanks for the info ... no wonder I couldnt find it in a menu :)

Wendy

[JonE]

Here's a shot in the dark. Do you know the pixel dimension of the original photos? It would be the normal pixel dimension of images coming out of your camera, the problem being the options for taking different size images. If you happen to know or can determine the size, you might take one image and try Image>Resize>Image Size, make sure resampling is checked, and enter the dimensions the picture should be, and see how that works.

If that happens to actually work, you can batch process them (or all of them that are supposed to be one size) in Editor using File>Process Multiple Files. Turn off everything except resize [see below], and in that area turn off Constrain Proportions (because you want to change them...). When doing this, I suggest you do not overwrite your original files, so even though I said turn off everything but resize, you should probably use the option to give the new image sizes new names.

GL, I hope this helps.

[scottwhiteusa]

Thanks for all the advice, I'll start trying the suggestions.

Over the weekend I tried taking new pictures and uploading them to my laptop again. I also reformatted my hard drive- I do that periodically anyway. PSE 4 was being unpredictable and sporradic. Sometimes it would squash my pictures into a square, other times it wouldn't. And these are all pictures from the same trip, so I don't get it at all.

I'll do some playing around a bit more, but keep the advice coming.

Anyone know of a good plug-in to correct barrel distortion on PSE 4?

Thanks.

[Wendy]

Hi Scott ...

This one seemed to get good reviews ... and its free :) but I don't know if it works in PSE4.

Its windows only and I'm a Mac user so I can't test it ..

http://epaperpress.com/ptlens/

Wendy

[TonyW]

It works with all versions of Elements and it's an excellent plug-in. Highly recommended :)

Tony

[Wendy]

Tony ...

Ummm just wish it worked on a Mac :(

Wendy

[TonyW]

Wendy: Have to thank you as I checked the PTLens website and found my version was a bit dated - it's even better now. BTW it's no longer completely free (after a 10 image tryout) but it won't break the bank :) . I see Tom Niemann (who wrote it) suggests LenFix (http://www.kekus.com/index.html) for the Mac. I have a feeling it may be similar and may well use the same lens correction database.

Tony

[Wendy]

Hi Tony ...

I didn't realise that they are now charging for it :) ...

I'm not too keen on the one they suggest for the Mac so I tend to use other methods.

OK ... I use the elliptical marquee to make a circle/oval feather it... and then do Filter>Distort>Spherize. Takes bit of experimenting with:)

Wendy

[scottwhiteusa]

Thanks guys, I downloaded the PTLens plug-in, but haven't read the manual enough to figure out how to make it work. I installed it but can't find it as an option anywhere- I'll do some homework and give it a go.

[TonyW]

If you have any trouble let me know - I just updated mine so I know just where it goes :) . When done right it shows up at the bottom of the Filter menu under ePaperPress.