There are a huge number of ways to highlight the main thing in the frame. To do this, you can use various light and color methods or focus on lines and frames that will delay the viewer's eye on the main object of your frame. But the easiest and fastest way to highlight is vignetting. What it is? In our article, we will answer this question in detail.
Bit of theory
Agree that it is almost impossible to achieve perfect photos directly from the camera. Basically, each always has one or another disadvantage. To eliminate them, graphic editors like Photoshop or Lightroom have been created. Any photographer (both professional and amateur) in his career has come across these programs. They allow you to make photographs in artistic processing from "raw" frames.
Everyone is trying to master the various tricks and tools of these programs, so that the photos are more colorful and vivid. But all this is the lot of professionals. What do lovers of photography do? There is one way out - vignetting. What it is? Note that this term came to us from the French language, where vignette means "screensaver".
In simple words, vignetting means darkening the image along the edge of the frame. In a more professional language, this is a partial limitation of oblique beams of light using frames or diaphragms of the optical system. It is more characteristic of telephoto lenses and optical systems with great power.
Vignetting in the camera results from the use of a lens from a full-frame camera on an apparatus with an APS-C format matrix. This all happens because the full-frame and “cropped” matrices have different viewing angles due to the difference in their sizes.
For example, if you put a 50mm lens from a full frame onto a camera with a reduced matrix, you will not get the same 50mm. It will already be about 75mm, which depends on how big the crop factor is. In this case, vignetting appears. It can be either almost imperceptible or clearly highlighted. For example, when we see a circle with clear, even edges on the frame, such vignetting occurs most often when using wide-angle lenses, such as “MS Zenitar 16mm”.
But there is also vignetting used in art photography as a way to highlight the main object. After applying this technique, a slight dimming is artificially created at the edges of the frame. It is difficult to notice to a person, even to someone who is very well versed in photo art. You will never notice this effect unless you know that it is applied to the frame.
This light dimming works in a very tricky way. It is as if trying to hold your gaze on the photographs, does not allow him to go aside. It helps show the viewer what you wanted to convey to him. If there is no vignetting, the viewer's eyes can go to those objects that you did not want to put on display.
Vignetting in photography can be not only darker, but also brightening. This effect is needed in cases where your photo has a joyful mood or bright colors. You do not want to darken the edges of the frame, since the main object of attention will be bright, and the background around it may become dull and gloomy, in this case, use the lightening technique. In this case, the object you need will merge into the general light gamut and will not only hold your eyes, but also complement the image of the hero of the frame.
Vignetting Goals
If you want to focus on something people who will watch your photos, use vignetting. What is it, we explained above. For what purposes is it used? Basically, to create an invisible barrier to the viewer's gaze. It should be noted that it must be used in very small "doses" so that the viewer is not able to see the catch. The vignetting effect needs to be added carefully. Otherwise, the viewer will think that your picture is technically imperfect, and will lose interest in your work.
Photoshop
Now consider how to do vignetting. We will study several methods using different programs as examples. Let's start with the most common image editor called Photoshop. In this program, we can add a vignette to the frame in three different ways.
Method one
How to create vignetting the easiest? Run the program, open any image on which you want to add this effect. Then create a new blank layer on top of your photo. Then, using the fill or Alt + Del key combination, fill this layer with black. Next, add a mask to it.
Using the black to white gradient, you can fill this layer. Gradients come in several forms, for example, radial, diagonal, or from only one edge of the image. As a result, you get this effect pretty quickly.
If it seems to you that the vignetting is too clearly highlighted, you can lower the opacity of the gradient mask layer.
Second way
In this case, you need to create the Curves adjustment layer. Curve the curve in approximately the same way as shown in the picture so that the whole picture is tinted, darkened.
As with the first method, fill this layer with a gradient. You also get a vignette, but unlike the first photo, it looks more natural and does not violate the contrast of the whole work.
This method allows you to darken the image more realistically without losing the ink of the picture.
Third way
It allows you to create a vignette using the "Filter" section. To use it, you need to duplicate the layer with your photo using the key combination Ctrl + J. Next, go to the “Filter” item, select the “Distortion Correction” section. In the window that opens, go to the "Custom" tab and find the "Vignette" section. Here you will see two sliders “Effect” and “Midpoint”. If you drag the first one, you can change the dimming or lightening of the image. If you drag this slider to the left, the vignette will become darker, and to the right - lighter. The Midpoint slider adjusts the size of your vignette (how much it will protrude from the edges of your image).
Lightroom
To create a vignette in Lightroom, you need to go to the “Effects” tab and find the “Vignette” section. Next, you see five sliders that are responsible for the vignetting settings. The first is responsible for the power of applying the effect, that is, it works the same way as the similar slider in Photoshop. The second is responsible for the midpoint value. So that you can see this effect most noticeably, you can hold down the Alt button.
Dragging the slider to the left or right, you will see the values ​​of this parameter for the 100% indicator “Effect”. This is necessary when you set the vignette effect to low values. In this case, any changes are not so noticeable. The third slider controls the shape of the vignette. That is, he can make it both more rounded and more elongated. The fourth is responsible for shading the edges of the frame so that the application of this effect is not so noticeable.
Conclusion
In the end, I would like to talk about some of the secrets of photography for beginners. Try to minimize shooting in automatic mode. Do not let the camera deprive you of creativity. The automatic mode tries to take the most average picture; it does not know how to predict your thoughts. Remember this.
In any case, to achieve something, you need to make a lot of effort. Start exploring the three most important settings for photography: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Minimize shooting photos in JPEG format, shoot in RAW. This format will allow you to correct the white balance, as well as receive more information from the shadows. Remember, it is better to underexpose a frame than overexposure. In RAW format, you can almost always save and edit details from dark space, but you won’t be able to do something good from too overexposed frames.
We told you the most important thing about vignetting. What it is, is now clear to every reader.