Custom vignetting can subtly improve your images, drawing attention to your subject in a way that looks natural and intentional. Instead of relying on preset sliders, creating custom vignettes in Lightroom lets you control exactly how light and shadow interact with your composition.
Coming to you from Christian Möhrle of The Phlog Photography, this practical video outlines how to use Lightroom’s masking tools to craft custom vignettes. Möhrle starts by adjusting the base image, setting it up for later enhancements. He increases exposure and pushes highlights and whites to create a high-key look, preparing for darker adjustments in specific areas later. This balance ensures details remain intact, even in the brightest parts of the image. Slight reductions in shadows and blacks add contrast, especially between the trees and the snow-covered hills.
Möhrle’s technique involves stacking multiple masks, each targeting specific areas of the frame. For the foreground, he uses a linear gradient to darken the base, carefully avoiding overexposure. Additional gradients from the sides guide the viewer's eye toward the subject while ensuring the changes don’t impact the sky or other bright elements unnecessarily. These adjustments create a subtle yet compelling focus on the central subject.
To fine-tune the effect, Möhrle adds brightness selectively. Using a radial gradient, he highlights the snow in the foreground, ensuring it stands out without overpowering the composition. This interplay of light and shadow adds a sense of depth, making the image feel more dynamic. He also introduces a warm glow to the sky, enhancing the atmosphere without compromising the natural tones of the scene.
Beyond masking, Möhrle demonstrates how to enhance the image further with color grading. He balances warmth in the highlights while keeping cooler tones in the shadows, ensuring a cohesive look. Subtle tweaks in the calibration panel and selective sharpening in the details tab give the final image a polished finish, with crisp textures in the trees and smooth transitions elsewhere. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Möhrle.
And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out our latest tutorial, "Photographing the World: Japan II - Discovering Hidden Gems with Elia Locardi!”
