I used the Vignette filter in Color Efex Pro 4 to darken the corners in this image.
A vignette, or corner-shading effect, is an age-old technique used to draw attention away from the corners of the frame and towards the center. In standard photography, vignetting could be created in one of several ways:
Light fall-off: A natural optical phenomenon where light at the edge of the frame is less intense than in the center of the frame, causing darkening. You’ll often see light fall-off when using your lenses at their widest aperture.
Vignetting: Caused when a filter or other object on the front of the lens protrudes into the frame. This is especially true when placing filters on super-wide lenses.
Dodging/Burning: In the darkroom, a standard technique was to either darken (burn) or lighten (dodge) the corners of the frame to accentuate the subject.
I’m pleased to announce the immediate release of The Photographer’s Guide to Color Efex Pro 4! This was a huge undertaking for me, as Color Efex Pro has over 50 different filters, and I had to understand each one in order to make this book as comprehensive as possible. Now, after months of research and experimentation, I’m pleased to release a guide that will have something for just about everyone. Continue reading New Book: The Photographer’s Guide to Color Efex Pro 4→
The Photographer's Guide to Silver Efex Pro, by Jason P. Odell, Ph.D.
I’m pleased to announce the immediate availability of two new educational products from Luminescence of Nature Photography that will allow you to quickly master the art of black and white digital conversion using the Silver Efex Pro 2 plug-in from Nik Software.
The Photographer’s Guide to Silver Efex Pro 2 is a 200-page PDF guide (eBook) that covers every tool, slider, and feature in Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro 2 plug-in. Here’s the manual that you’ll want to use to learn all the new features in Silver Efex Pro 2.0, including Dynamic Brightness, Soft Contrast, Fine Structure, and Selective Colorization. The book is delivered in electronic (PDF) format, and is readable on Macs, PCs, and iPads (to view on the iPad, you’ll need to transfer the PDF file from your computer using iTunes). I’ve also included a set of custom style presets that you can load into Silver Efex Pro 2: Continue reading Master Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro 2→
