Vignetting
The darkening of image periphery relative to the center. Occurs naturally due to lens optical properties, or applied intentionally as an artistic effect to draw attention toward the subject.
Vignetting is the darkening of image corners and edges relative to the center. From the French "vigne" (grapevine), it occurs as an optical artifact or as a deliberate artistic choice to guide viewer attention toward the subject.
Optical vignetting is classified by mechanism. All types become more pronounced at wider apertures.
- Natural vignetting (cosine fourth law): Illumination falls off as
cos⁴θwith angle from the optical axis. Wide-angle lenses are most affected, with corner darkening up to 2 stops - Mechanical vignetting: Physical obstruction of oblique rays by lens barrel or filter rings. Stopping down 2-3 stops reduces this
- Pixel vignetting: Digital sensor phenomenon where microlens directionality reduces peripheral pixel sensitivity. Pronounced with non-telecentric designs
- Artistic vignetting: Intentional peripheral darkening in post-processing to direct gaze toward the subject. Common in portrait and fine art photography
RAW software provides automatic correction using lens profiles. Adobe Lightroom and DxO PhotoLab include per-lens calibration data. Adding vignetting remains popular for evoking film-era aesthetics.