Photoshop Secrets: Changing Perspectives with the Crop Tool
Everyone has used the crop tool, and most people have probably used the Crop tool’s Perspective options. But when you break away from the conventional use of the Crop tool, you’ll find some really interesting results.
Select the Crop tool and click-drag to create a selection. In the resulting Crop Options menu bar at the top of the screen, check Perspective. (This option only appears after you make a crop selection).
Shape the Perspective selection. Here, I shaped a selection two different ways for a One Way sign. When you bring two crop anchor points toward each other, Perspective expands the area in the result; if you spread two points further apart, it narrows the area. This effect may not be suitable for every project, but it’s perfect for an edgy, dramatic look.
Take the warped perspective a step further by using the ACR (Adobe Camera Raw) plug-in to purposely distort the white balance, tint, and exposure of an image. You can really change the feel and attitude of a photo this way.
In Photoshop, use the Crop Perspective for quick and wild effects. I made several attempts on numerous portraits and chose crops where the effect worked best. The results were distortions that appear to be shot with a special lens but were simply a clever crop.
