Creating a Natural Looking Vignette

Posted: June 19th, 2009 | Author: admin | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , | 8 Comments »

Thought I’d pass along my favorite vignette technique this morning. I like this one because it doesn’t turn bright areas along the edges gray — it just darkens that edges that were already darker to begin with.

1) Create a flattened master version of your image (Merge All Duplicate Layer: CTRL+ALT+Shift+E).

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2) Select All (CTRL+A or Select>All)

3) Transform Selection to 85% W x 85% H (Selection>Transform Selection)

transform-screenshot

4) Refine Selection Edge by feathering to 250px (Selection>Refine Edge>Feather:250px)

feather-screenshot

5) Create Inverted Layer Mask (ALT+Click layer mask icon)

6) Change Blend Mode to Multiply; Name layer”V1″

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7) Duplicate Layer (CTRL+J); Name layer “V2″

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8) Create flattened master layer (CTRL+ALT+Shift+E); Name layer “Vignette”

9)  Delete (or hide) layers V1 and V2.

10) Adjust the opacity of “Vignette” layer. Do the colors around the edges look “burned” or oversaturated? Just change the blend mode to luminosity.

Before and After (After = Opacity 75%; Blend Mode Normal):

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