Adding a vignette is a popular technique in photo editing that can help draw focus to the subject of your photo. In this beginner’s tutorial by Pixel & Bracket, we’ll cover a non-destructive way to add vignettes to your photos using Photoshop.
First, we want to set up our layer for smart filters. This will allow us to adjust, remove, or hide any filters we add to the photo. With the photo layer selected, navigate to the Filter dropdown and select Convert for Smart Filters. You’ll notice a small icon added to the thumbnail of our layer.
Next, go back to the filter dropdown and select Lens Correction, or use the shortcut Shift+Cmd+R. Underneath the Auto Correction tab, make sure that Geometric Distortion is unchecked. Instead, go to the Custom tab where you’ll find options for creating a vignette. You can set the amount of the vignette and control where the midpoint hits with these sliders. For now, set a pretty strong vignette that’s easy for you to see.
Once you’ve adjusted the amount, hit OK, and the smart filter will be attached to your photo layer. If you need to re-adjust the sliders, simply double-click on the lens correction filter. You might also notice a slider icon to the far right of your filter layer. If you double-click this icon, you can adjust opacity and blending modes separately for each filter, allowing you to create all sorts of effects and styles.
Using smart filters is highly recommended for non-destructive editing. It provides a lot of flexibility and makes it easy to adjust your edits without damaging your original photo. In case you have more questions or comments about adding vignettes to your work, don’t hesitate to post in the comments below.
Adding vignettes is just one of the many techniques you can use in Photoshop. We hope this tutorial helped you see the power of non-destructive editing. With practice and experimentation, you can use these techniques to create unique and beautiful photos.