AMPt Darkroom - When To Use A Vignette-title

How to Use A Vignette to Highlight Your Subject


Device/Platform: iPhone / Android
Topics Covered: Vignette 

Lesson Focus: When and how to apply a vignette to highlight your subject.

Intro:
The word vignette comes from the French word vigne and historically means a decorative border in a manuscript. Using a vignette, either white, black or any other color, should be determined on a case by case basis. Below we will discuss the major dos and don’ts when deciding when and how to apply a vignette to your photograph.

First things first

How Do You Apply a Vignette in Snapseed?
Open an image in snapseed. Scroll across your menu and choose center focus.
AMPt Darkroom - when to use a vignette 1

 This gives you multiple different options for different effects. For this tutorial, I obviously picked vignette. Once you have opened the vignette effect you will see a blue dot with a circle around it. This is your focal point. You can adjust the effects by moving the dot or by adjusting the size of the circle. A larger circle diminishes the vignette while a smaller circle increases it.

Benefits:
Vignettes can serve to add drama or help heighten the focus on the focal point when used appropriately.


DO:
  • Look for photos that have a strong center subject to highlight with a vignette
  • Be daring and look for other subjects that are off center that may benefit from a vignette
  • Be aware of Hipstamatic and other apps that have a vignette built in
  • Be aware that a vignette can lighten or darken your entire photo


DON’T:
  • Use a vignette that looks like a flat black mat with a hole cut in it. Make sure you have fall-off. Fall-off is the opacity or fade from the dark corner to the center of the photo
  • Apply a vignette on every photo. Vignettes can detract from some photos


- Anna Cox @annacox



Check out these other Darkroom mobile photography tutorials:

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