Today, we’ll learn how to turn a bad vignette into a nice, subtle vignette in just a few simple steps. Let’s get started!

The purpose of this tutorial is to focus on vignettes, so we won’t be creating a full look. The overall look has already been created using QT Look DNA.

Beginner’s Mistake

Here’s where we’ll add the vignette node in the node tree—right after the balance node and before the look node.

Our beginner starts by creating a window that looks like this.

Then they go to Lift and pull it down to darken the edges.

The problem with using Lift is that it’s too on the nose and not a professional approach. It’s too aggressive because it only pulls down the low end of your image, making the vignette obvious and unnatural. Instead of blending smoothly, it creates a noticeable and harsh effect.

Now, let’s use QT Charts to quality control our image and see how the vignette actually looks.

Turn on the Negatives Indicator in QT Charts to highlight any overly dark areas and ensure the vignette isn’t crushing the shadows too much.

The Negatives Indicator shows that the vignette is too dark and would not be accepted for broadcast standards. It will likely get flagged due to the excessively low black levels, which can cause issues during distribution.

So, by using Lift, you’re not only risking broadcast rejection due to crushed blacks, but it also makes the vignette look fake and unnatural.

Instead, you can use Gamma to adjust the vignette—it looks much more believable because it affects the image from the midpoint.

When you pull the brightness down from the midtones, it adds more weight to your hues, creating a natural darkening effect that blends seamlessly. This kind of result is something you can’t achieve with Lift or even Gain, as they affect the extremes of the tonal range rather than the middle.

Let’s compare the three versions of the vignette created using Lift, Gamma, and Gain:

1. Lift:

• The vignette looks too harsh and unnatural.

• There is noticeable discoloration in some areas, making it look fake and unpolished.

• This method is generally not acceptable for professional work, especially for broadcast.

2. Gamma:

• The vignette appears natural and believable, with a smooth transition from the midpoint.

• It adds a weight to the hues without oversaturating or crushing the blacks.

• This method maintains the balance while adding depth to the image.

3. Gain:

• The vignette looks too subtle and tends to brighten rather than darken the edges effectively.

• It impacts the highlights more, which is not ideal for vignettes since it reduces contrast instead of adding a framing effect.

Conclusion:
The version created with Gamma looks the most balanced and realistic, making it the preferred method in the beginner’s method.

Professional Method

What a professional does is use this type of window.

Then invert it, adjust the Gamma, and park it somewhere around here.

Then I’m going to take the outside and expand it. Look how beautiful the results are with this particular shape instead of using a predetermined oval.

Now we can go to the HDR palette and lower the exposure in the highlights.

Now let’s compare how realistic this effect looks compared to the beginner’s method.

Another great use of a vignette in a situation like this is to create a sophisticated, modern Hollywood look by adding a subtle lens distortion effect.

I’m going to apply it on this node, and whenever I use textures in my node tree, I place them right after my last look node. Essentially, textures are always added after all color adjustments are complete.

I’m going to apply the Defocus Background effect to my Lens Distortion node.

Then I’ll create a shape like this and position it accordingly. After that, I’ll adjust the settings to achieve the desired effect we’re aiming for.

I’m going to set the Anamorphism to zero and increase the Blur to create a really cool effect.

Now I want to soften it, and the key to softening is to experiment and fine-tune the effect.

That is an advanced use of a vignette, and that’s how a professional applies it.

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