Photo Vignette Techniques
Vignettes in photography refers to the darkening or lightening of the edge of the frame either as a result of lens deficiencies or as a creative effect. We will focus on the creative use of vignettes in photo images and the different techniques for creating them in this step-by-step tutorial.
Vignettes in Lightroom & Adobe Camera Raw
Most of the new RAW file image processing software now offers some control over vignettes. The latest offerrings from Adobe – Light room and Adobe camera Raw provide a very simple yet sophisticated method of creating vignette effects. A set of simple sliders controls post crop settings for the amount. transition and roundness of edge darkening or lightening. These sliders can be found in the "Develop Module" in Lightroom or the "Lens Corrections" tab in ACR
Sliders Offer Easy Control
Basically all you have to do is move the sliders around until you get the effect you like. The controls are mostly obvious - Amount, Roundness and Feather do pretty much what you'd expect . Midpoint controls where the edge effect starts – in conjunction with the Feather slider you have a good degree of control over the softness of the edge transition.
Create a Film Frame Look
Moving all the sliders to the extreme negative position will get you a rounded corner film frame effect
Fade to White Vignette
A 100% positive ammount setting delivers a white edge vignette and a 50 midpoint with a roundness of zero places the circle just inside the frame – adjust the feather to create the right level of softness
Edge Darkening in Lightroom
The most common type of vignette is a rounded edge darkening that serves to highlight the face in a portrait.
Vignetting in Photoshop
Sometimes you don't want to import a file into Lightroom or you may need a little more control over the effect. Photoshop offers alternative methods to achieve similar results. I offer one such method here that I believe is the most flexible and is very intuitive for those readers familiar with traditional darkroom technique. (1) Start by making an empty layer – click on the New Layer icon at the lower right of the Layers panel.
Make an Empty Layer
(2) Change the layer apply mode to Multiply by selecting from the drop down menu under the Layers "tab"
Select the Gradient Tool
(3) Make sure you have black as your foreground color by clicking on the default color icon above the swatches in the Tool palette. (4) Select the Gradient Tool and (5) choose the Foreground to Transparent gradient type from the gradient picker. (6) Change the opacity to 20% or so...
Draw Gradients from the Edges
Now all you have to do is drag the gradient from the edges and corners of the image until you've built up the desired density. This is very similar to edge burning under the enlarger where you add exposure while moving a card under the lens, revealing the image from the edge in during the exposure. By keeping the opacity low you can gradually build up just the right amount of darkening - applying a different amount of darkening to each e4dge as required.
Fade for Extra Control
If you find that a particular application seems too heavy you can "fade" the gradient stroke by selecting "Fade Gradient" from the Edit menu immediately after application. Adjust the intensity of the gradient stroke while watching the effect.
Brush Tool for Fine Tuning
You may find that the gradient builds up the corners too much – you can even out the effect with a large soft brush applied at low opacity. This approach is especially well suited to evening out uneven background lighting, Use very low opacity and varying diameter brush strokes to slowly work up the right amount of darkening
Photoshop Vignette
The final effect can be a subtle enhancement – the dark edges draw the eye in towards the face. Compare this result with an application of post crop vignetting sliders in Lightroom in the following shot...
Lightroom Vignette
Here the vignetting effect is a little more obvious because the roundness and feather are not as adaptable to the exact features of the subject.
Original Image
Both versions are an improvement over the unaltered original which looks less dramatic in comparison. Experiment with various approaches to vignetting to find a look that suits the subject as well as your persoanl taste. Sometimes its better to reject the easy 1-step slider approach offered by the latest tools to arrive at a more refined image. Sometimes there is a need for speed – let your particular circumstances be your guide – good luck and happy Photoshopping.