What’s Your Preference?

Srdavids · #1 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008, 10:29 PM

So I know that vignetting in many cases is bad. But in other cases, it can also create a beautiful effect.

I know how to 'fake' a vignette in photoshop as in the previous picture. But I have yet to be able to create, without the assistance of post-process, a vignette with any of my lenses. Does anyone know how to go about doing this?

If it helps, I use a Nikon D50 and have the following lenses:

-50mm Prime 1:1.8 D
-18-55mm Kit 1:3 5-5.6 G
-70-300mm 4-5.6 G

Thanks!

GEli · #2 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008, 11:11 PM

I don't see why you'd want to bother. PPed vignetting looks exactly the same, so unless you've got some crazy purist ideas about processing your images building custom lense hoods and such seems like a huge waste of time.

Srdavids · #3 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008, 11:20 PM

It's mainly the principal. I'd like to have an idea of how to do in real life what im mimicking on screen.

Elmo · #4 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008, 11:59 PM

Using black construction paper. Cut a hole in the middle, want a heart shape cut a heart shape. hold in front of lens. F-stop will determine the sharpness of edges. you will need to expeiment to get the hole the right size.

then think about using white paper an putting some light on it.

Some folks prefer to put a picture together rather than fabricate one in photoshop. Also it is much easier to get and repeat shaped vin's with cut outs.

C.Barr · #5 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 04:23 AM

I was able to do it (on accident) by stacking filters on my lens. I put my UV filter and then my circular polarizing filter on top of that which gacve it a bit of a vignette. This photo of mine demonstrates that the best. I didn't realize it until I got home and imported the pictures since it was so bright and hard to see the LCD screen outside.

PhotoNewt · #6 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C.Barr

I was able to do it (on accident) by stacking filters on my lens. I put my UV filter and then my circular polarizing filter on top of that which gacve it a bit of a vignette. This photo of mine demonstrates that the best. I didn't realize it until I got home and imported the pictures since it was so bright and hard to see the LCD screen outside.

This is certainly a method but will cost you light and increase your exposure times. If you have ever wondered why, the reason filters for ultrawide angle lenses are different is that the rim needs to be thinner to prevent vignetting.

You can easily create a vignette on a wide angle lens by using a hood designed for a telephoto lens.

Another method is to wrap paper around the front part of the lens to form a tube and adjust the effect by sliding it while looking through the view finder until you get the level of vignetting you want. Black construction paper works best for this.