In printing, vignetting is a technique that causes the image to fade gradually into the background toward the corners of the print. A vignette effect is produced by projecting the desired negative image area through a large hole cut in a piece of cardboard or by dodging the central image area during part of the exposure time. When the background is to be printed light, the entire exposure should be made through the vignetting card. When the edges of the hole are serrated, the outline of the vignette will be soft and diffused In most cases, a soft, diffused vignette produces the most pleasing result.

Head-and-shoulders portraits are usually the most suitable for vignetting, although vignetting may be applied to other subjects (fig. 11-15). A photograph with a light background provides the most pleasing vignette results. For a head-and-shoulders portrait, the vignetting

card should have an egg-shaped hole cut in it. The subject in a vignette should be a little smaller than it is in a straight nonvignetted print. Leave plenty of space around the image. Balance the head-and-shoulders image on the paper by leaving more blank paper below the image than above it. The blank paper at the sides should be about equal, but less than at the top. As with dodging and burning in, the vignetting card must be kept moving during the exposure.

Diffusing

Photographs can be diffused so sharp lines of the image are softened, subdued, or blurred slightly in the reproduction. Diffusion can be used to produce a hazy effect, such as the effect seen on a warm lake in early morning. In printing portrait negatives, diffusion can be used to subdue the reproduction of facial blemishes or wrinkles. The effects of harsh portrait lighting or retouching also may be softened with diffusion (fig. 11-16).

The best diffused enlargements are made using a glass diffusing disk placed under the lens of the enlarger. Other suitable diffusing materials are transparent cellophane, either smooth or wrinkled, or a piece of panty hose, or similar fabric. Dark gray or black is preferable.

The amount of diffusing with a given material is controlled by the distance of the material from the lens of the enlarger and the density of the diffusing material. Diffusing tends to lower image contrast; therefore, you may need to use a higher contrast printing filter than normally required for a given negative. The exposure through the diffusing material should be about one third of the total required exposure time.

To use dodging, burning-in, vignetting, and diffusing effectively, you should make one full-straight (uncorrected) print, using the basic exposure determined with your test strips. Study this print and determine the location(s) you are going to dodge, burn in, and so forth. The application of these techniques may appear time-consuming, but you will make professional-quality prints that are rich in detail and mood.