Saved Radial Gradients in Lightroom Change Shape Based on Image Orientation

[Jason Odell]

I made an adjustment preset that included a centered, circular radial gradient mask.

When I apply the preset to a photo captured in a different orientation (portrait), the gradient changes to an ellipse. The issue depends on the orientation of the original photo from which the preset was based. If I make another preset using a portrait orientation image, then it becomes elliptical when applied to an image captured in landscape orientation.

The distortion also occurs when using a simple copy/paste mask command between landscape and portrait images. 

Screen shots attached showing the mask overlay of a circular gradient created on a landscape orientation photo and then applied to a portrait orientation photo. 

Mac OS Sonoma 14.4.1
Lightroom Classic v13.2 

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

It is currently expected/designed behavior that the Radial adjusts to the shape change from a rotation of the image. 

[richardplondon]

I am not certain, but I believe that the X/Y coordinates of the points that define e.g. a parametric selection, are expressed for a given image as proportion of its uncropped width / proportion of its uncropped height. When transferred onto an image with a different relation between its own width and its own height, such a coordinate system would naturally have to squish or stretch accordingly.

[Jason Odell]

If I save a perfect circle in the center of the image, it shouldn't matter what the orientation is, it should remain a perfect circle.

[richardplondon]

Consider a circular selection which just touches the left and right sides of a portrait photo, but fails to reach the top and bottom. How should that be best transferred onto a horizontal photo - if it still touches the left and right sides, if kept circular its height must instead overflow at top and bottom. Or if it still occupies the same proportion of the height, if kept circular it no longer reaches the left and right sides; and so on. Something would have to give. LrC cannot guess at which specifics you do, or do not, care about preserving.

[JonKandel]

Richard, I see your point, but…

By your reasoning, a crop applied to the image should alter the radial circle. But in fact it does not.

Also, Adobe handles object position differenlty in other software. In InDesign, the layout application, all page elements are references to a fixed point (the top left corner). If I draw a circle in the middle of a 8-1/2“x11“ portrait page and then change the document to landscape orientation, the circle is moved, to keep the original distance from the top left corner — but the circular shape is still maintained.  

[richardplondon]

I believe all this positioning would be defined in relation to the starting image that underlies any further cropping.

By definition a point 50% across a picture and 50% down from its corner, must always sit at the picture's centre compositionally speaking - regardless of unit of measure, high or low resolution, aspect ratio, or prospective real-world scaling.

Everything within InDesign depends on real-world sizing, e.g. dimensions of a page, IOW is output-specific. 

That's a different framework than LrC's own output independence, so different working expectations and conceptions should naturally arise in each context.

This contrast, with its consequences, is IMO important to grasp. Otherwise one is left trying to force ideas somewhere that they can never fit, which is just a recipe for frustration.

[Jason Odell]

If I create a circle that is in the exact center of my photo, why should the photo orientation matter? A centered circle should not transform into an ellipse based on orientation of the photo, IMO.