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Like lens flare, extreme high contrast, and all the other effects that are oh-too-easy to apply in digital post-processing, the vignette effect is overused. So I ask this question in all seriousness, with the goal of making better pictures.
When does the application of a vignette effect contribute to (and when does it work against) the quality of the resulting image?
And--an even better question--how can I know when to use it appropriately to improve my final image?
I would argue that the vignette effect cannot be overused. It is only inappropriate or bad use of vignette that can be overused.
If you've ever watched an episode of Top Gear and paid attention, you'd notice that basically every single outdoor shot has had vignette effect applied to it.
It doesn't detract from the show (well, at least not most of the time). In my mind it's proof that done a certain way and applied to certain material, the vignette effect can be used basically all the time and not detract from the material.
Bad use of vignette may involve:
Adding vignette over the top of overexposure (white highlights) or where you don't have headroom in the highlights. What should be highlights become yucky gray mush.
Using the same, smooth, oval-shaped vignette no matter what the subject or where in the frame a subject is. If your subject is off-centre, shape your vignette so it's off-centre. Try also making your vignette more harsh-edged.
Using vignette where it doesn't really enhance the contrast or pop of an image but actually has the opposite effect, de-emphasising interesting details.
Some vignetting algorithms/filters just seem to be made badly, causing colours to become dull and towards gray instead of more contrasty and towards black. Technically I believe this is because it does not account for the values already being gamma corrected.
It's hard to think of other examples. It may be hard to describe what bad vignette is, but it's obvious when you see it.
Good vignette, on the other hand, boosts contrast, makes an image more edgy, especially the subject within the image. It may even give a framing effect.
Here are some better examples of vignette that I found when researching this answer.
It’s not a crime when:
I forget where I read it, but someone recommended playing with vignette until you were happy, then reducing that by about half. It’s something that should be subtle, instead of right in your face. Put another way: You should be able to easily see the difference if you toggle the effect on and off, but you shouldn’t immediately notice it when it’s on.
Look at it this way: Do you consider dodging a crime against good taste? A vignette is just applying the same dodge to multiple photos.
This is something I've asked my self more frequently since the whole switch to digital. In times gone by I would only rarely add mild vignetting to images, if they needed it. With modern software it's become so easy to create a myriad of vignette styles, I must admit to using it much more frequently. Certainly when displaying stuff on the web, I feel a stronger look can make images stand out a bit, the web is stuffed with images and making some visual impact is important. With this in mind, I think it's important not to get to hung-up about the right and wrongs, do what works for the image given certain viewing conditions, and the market. My work is nearly all wedding photography, and again a strong style is important, if strong vignetting helps to define a 'style' so be it, I'm not there yet but things change, who knows.
Interesting subject
Graham Morgan
It is possible to list situations where vignetting works and where it doesn't, and interesting to figure out why for each situation (both technical and aesthetic reasons) but you'll never have a complete list that way. The best approach in practice is simply to try it and trust your artistic judgement.
