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How to Fix Lens Distortion in Photos

5 min read
Quick Answer

To fix lens distortion in a photo, upload it to EditThisPic and describe the problem: 'fix the barrel distortion' or 'straighten the curved lines from the wide-angle lens.' The AI detects warped geometry and corrects the bowing, restoring straight lines to walls, horizons, and architectural features. Free, no signup required.

Straighten Out Warped Wide-Angle Photos

Lens distortion bends straight lines into curves. Doorways bow outward, buildings lean, and faces near the edges of group shots look stretched. It's most obvious with wide-angle and ultrawide phone cameras, but even standard lenses produce subtle warping. AI can detect these geometric errors and correct them without you needing to understand lens profiles or correction grids.

How AI Corrects Lens Distortion

EditThisPic's AI identifies geometric cues in the image—straight lines that should be straight but aren't, architectural edges that curve when they should be vertical, horizon lines that bow in the center. It then applies a correction that reverses the lens warping, remapping pixels to restore accurate geometry. Unlike manual lens profiles, the AI works on any photo from any camera without needing to know which lens was used.

Types of Lens Distortion

  • Barrel distortion: straight lines bow outward from center (common on wide-angle lenses)
  • Pincushion distortion: straight lines pinch inward toward center (common on telephoto lenses)
  • Mustache distortion: barrel in the center, pincushion at the edges (complex lenses)
  • Perspective distortion: buildings lean inward when shooting upward (converging verticals)
  • Wide-angle stretch: faces and objects near frame edges look elongated

When Distortion Is Most Noticeable

Architectural photos suffer the most—curved walls, leaning buildings, and bowed window frames are immediately obvious. Real estate photos from small rooms shot with ultrawide lenses often have severe barrel distortion. Group photos where people at the edges look wider than those in the center. Interior design photos where straight shelves and countertops curve. Any photo where geometry matters.

Tips for Best Distortion Correction

Be specific about what's warped: 'fix the barrel distortion making the walls curve outward' works better than a vague 'fix this photo.' For perspective distortion (buildings leaning), try 'correct the converging verticals so the building looks straight.' If only the edges are stretched, describe it: 'the people at the edges of the group photo look stretched—fix the wide-angle distortion.'

Step-by-Step Guide

1

Upload Your Distorted Photo

Drop your image into EditThisPic. JPG, PNG, or WebP up to 7MB. Architectural shots, real estate photos, and wide-angle group photos benefit most.

2

Describe the Distortion

Type what you see: 'fix the barrel distortion from the wide-angle lens' or 'the walls are curving outward and the building is leaning—straighten the geometry.' Be specific about which lines or features are warped.

3

Check the Geometry

Verify that lines that should be straight are now straight. Check walls, horizons, door frames, and window edges. Use the before/after comparison to see the correction.

4

Refine If Needed

If the correction is too subtle, try 'straighten the lines more, there's still visible bowing.' If overcorrected (lines now curve the other way), ask to 'reduce the distortion correction slightly.'

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Frequently Asked Questions

Upload the photo to EditThisPic and type 'fix the barrel distortion.' The AI detects the curved geometry and straightens it automatically. No lens profiles, manual grids, or photo editing software needed.
Most phone cameras use wide-angle lenses (24-28mm equivalent) that produce barrel distortion. The wider the lens, the more straight lines bow outward—especially near the edges of the frame. Ultrawide cameras (0.5x) are the worst offenders. Some phones correct this automatically, but many don't fully fix it.
Yes. Wide-angle lenses stretch objects near the frame edges, making faces look wider than they are. Describe it: 'fix the wide-angle stretch on the faces at the edges of the group photo.' The AI remaps the geometry to reduce the elongation.
That's perspective distortion (converging verticals), which happens when you tilt the camera upward to capture a tall building. Ask the AI to 'correct the converging verticals so the building stands straight.' This is different from barrel distortion but the AI handles both.
Traditional lens correction tools crop the edges after straightening. AI correction can often fill in the edges intelligently, minimizing or eliminating the crop. If you notice lost content at the edges, mention it: 'fix the distortion and keep the full frame.'
EditThisPic offers free edits with no signup. Upload your distorted photo and straighten the geometry instantly.

Fix Lens Distortion in Your Photo

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