For a folder of photos, how to adjust the horizon of each photo and crop each to the same pixel sizes?

DxO PhotoLab
1

I have many photos to adjust in a systematic way.
I need to crop all of them to the exact same number of pixels in both directions.
I also need to slightly correct the horizon for each photo.

I did that naïvely and came into troubles.

Could you suggest me a way to go?
Below is a description of the troubles I encouintered.

Thanks
Michel

First method I used:

  1. Adjusting the horizon for each photo.
  2. Cropping photo nr 1 to the desired size,
  3. Pasting the correction settings of photo nr 1 on all the othe photos.
    Problem: the individual horizon adjustments are lost when pasting.
    Is it possible to avoid this?
    I could not find a way to avoid pasting the horizon setting at the same time.

Second method I used:

  1. Cropping photo nr 1 to the desired size,
  2. Pasting the correction settings of photo nr 1 on all the othe photos.
  3. Adjusting the horizons for each photo
    Problem: the crop size is modified when changing the horizon.
    Is it possible to avoid this?
2

Welcome to the forum, @maajdl

Try this:

  • Select all images and let automatic horizontal adjustment do its work.
  • Unselect all images, check results and adjust as necessary
  • Select all images and manually apply the crop
  • Unselect all images, check results and adjust as necessary

Note that lens distortion correction and cropping can be set for automatic or fixed sizes or ratios and don’t use automatic adjustment with these tools.

Usually, all you have to do after horizontal adjustments is to crop to the right aspect ratio and adjust pixel dimensions when exporting to JPEG or TIFF.

2 Likes
3

Bienvenue Michel

Paste (only) the selected corrections (Ctrl+ Alt+ V / Alt+ Shift+ Cmd+ V)
and uncheck all corrections except cropping

A strictly identical crop is not useful.
When exported, all images will have the same dimensions.

Pascal

4

There is also a consideration for the crop ratio versus final output size.

If you want all square JPEGs with dimensions 1000x1000 pixels, you need only apply the 1:1 crop in PhotoLab at any physical size to suit the subject. Then on export, set the 1000 pixel dimensions. This, of course, implies you need more than 1000 pixels in the original image or you will potentially be upsizing images which is often not a great result.

I take this approach with my photos. I publish all at 6 megapixels. Whether they are square or 3:2 or 16:9 or 2:1 and whether portrait or landscape. My export preset says “6 megapixels”. I chose this as picking an actual dimension becomes problematic because a “3000 pixel longest side” image of a square appears, perceptually, to be a much larger photo than a 2:1 image with the same longest side. The only thing I have to watch out for is heavy crops need to have more than 6 megapixels of original photo in them. Given my current 24 megapixel camera, this is rarely an issue.

1 Like
5

It’s worth a try but in my experience automatic horizon regularly gets it wrong, obviously wrong.

6

Unless the images are taken the same time on a tripod, copying the horizon correction is 100% wrong. I don’t understand why is somebody trying to do that.

George

7

I was not trying to do that.
I was trying to avoid that, when copying crop settings.
It looks like crop settings include horizon settings, which is unfortunate for me.

Otherwise, I have used “automatic horizon” on a bunch of 75 selected of my photos,
and I was quite happy with that, only a few had to be corrected.
Of course, my “photos” are scans from A3 photo albums, and the horizon is generaly not ambiguous.

Thanks for your care!

Michel

8

Here, for scans of photos albums, it is quite useful.
Only a few corrected horizons need to be changed.

9

@George yes it wrong if you manually change the horizon.
But if you apply the automatic horizon, and copy/paste the corrections to another image it will adapt the horizon level to what if found in the new image.
The same if you select some images and clic on the horizon automatic wand, there are different values own each image.

10

So it does copy the function and not the correction when using automatic horizon.

George

11

Yes, that goes for all automatics in PL. They don‘t apply the settings of a master image found by the automatic, each images get treated individually. Often a very cool feature.

3 Likes
12

Your succinct description prompted a thought for me… it would be useful, perhaps, if the manual had a simple symbol or label or some such that could mark out such “adaptive” tools. Perhaps even in places like the selective paste window, too.

13

That would definitely be helpful @zkarj Although I’m writing manuals, I’m also a big fan of “preventive manuals”, meaning, if the UI design, icons or colours for various tabs makes it clear what’s going on, the manual becomes less important. But I guess, that would become a huge effort for a small improvement.