Ramblings of a Grouch

The word 'vignette ' comes from the French 'vigne' - a vine. It was originally (and still is today) used to describe the framing of an image in vine tendrils. However, when discussing photographs it also means fading the main image into the background. So whether adding something (vines) or removing something (the outer edge of a photo), the whole point is to show a picture in a pleasing setting. A bonus is that a vignette will draw the eye to the main subject.

Here at DigitalMemoriesonline, vignettes can be used for as variety of reasons. In cases where the background of the photograph has been badly damaged or is missing, a vignette is a good way of depicting the main subject without resorting to guessing what was in the background. Both people and buildings look good in a vignette and it is a technique used by photographers and printers in days gone by. Portraits in particular benefit from vignetting, drawing the viewer's eye to the eye of the subject by removing a distracting background.

Another advantage is that a vignette leaves room to label the subject using, of course, a suitable font to complement the image. This technique can add the finishing touch to a portrait and provides information to those looking at print 50 years from now.

This is the original image of a rather jolly-looking lady (and I am told her character was exactly as her image suggests) taken some 80 years ago. The original photo was vignetted but that tends to get lost in the general background fading:

An here it is after restoration. The vignette effect has been enhanced to make the portrait stand out from the background and a name and date has been added in script so we will always know who the lady was.

Until next time ...

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