Correct those imperfections

With Lightroom 5, you can correct many lens-related problems in a few clicks

Enable Lens Profile correction

Drag lens_before into the Lightroom 5 Library Module and click Import, then go to the Develop Module. Scroll to the Lens Correction Panel on the right, then click the Profile Tab. Check ‘Enable Profile Corrections’ to fix distortion. If your lens profile isn’t detected, find it on the dropdown list.

Fix chromatic aberration

Click the Lens Correction Colour Tab. Zoom in to the strip light at the top right. Note the green and purple fringing around the edges. You can fix it manually or automatically. First, click on the eyedropper tool and click over the green fringe. Next check ‘Remove Chromatic Aberration’.

Use Upright buttons

Zoom back out, then go to the Basic Tab in the Lens Correction Panel. Click each of the Upright buttons (Auto, Level, Vertical and Full) to see how they affect the image. Auto works best. It corrects any camera tilt and aligns all the vertical lines.

View the grid

Go to View>Loupe Overlay>Grid (or press Alt+Cmd/Ctrl+O) to turn on the grid. Hold Cmd/ Ctrl to bring up the Grid Options, then drag left or right over Size to change the grid cell size. Use the grid to check the straightness and angle of lines in the image.

Manual correction tweaks

The column on the left is a little tilted, so go to the Manual Tab. First, bring the scale down to about 77 to see the entire image, then hold Cmd/ Ctrl and adjust the grid. Set Distortion +3, Horizontal -2, Rotate +0.5. Next, grab the Crop tool and crop in to remove the white edges.

Boost tones and Clarity

Scroll up to the Basic Panel and set Temp 3400, Tint +31, Exposure +0.40, Contrast -15, Highlights -38, Shadows +67, Blacks +42, Saturation -15, Clarity +100. This isn’t enough Clarity, so grab the Graduated Filter tool. Start at the edge and drag away from the image, then set Clarity +40.