*Digital Creativity* Getting it straight

You have this great picture but it's not quite straight. Perhaps it was something that was shot at an odd angle, or the camera was tilted just a bit.

Well here's how to fix it.  Of the editing software programs that I use only two (that I know of) will do this.  Picasa3 and PhotoScape

Lets start with our image:

When I took this picture I was at an angle to it, so it looks a little crooked:

With Picasa3 click on the box marked Straighten.

You will see a grid pattern appear over the photograph.   Using the slide tool at the bottom manipulate your photograph until it straights out a bit.

Using the Manual crop in Picasa3 crop and save:

Or you can use PhotoScape.

click on the little arrow that is going in a circle just under the picture:

You will get a pop-up box with the grid and the slide so that you can preview your work

The reason I use PhotoScape a bit more often than Picasa, is that PhotoScape allows me to also tilt the photograph toward me using the Filters:Distort:Perspective

gradually move the slide until the photograph straightens a bit more.   See how the bottom portion is pushed back a bit and the tapestry stands up a little more?

Crop with "crop freely"

I sharpened it just a bit for the final product:

And ... here you have it.  One straight and very pretty picture.  It's that simple.