Technique 33. Burned-In EdgesVersion 3

Technique #33. Burned-In EdgesVersion 3

Here are a couple of options for creating a more subtle burned-in edges effect: the first using Camera Raw, and the second using the Lens Correction filter.

key concepts:

layer masks

filters

For this first technique, you must use a RAW file.

Step One.	Double-click on the RAW file to open it in Camera Raw. Choose the image size you want from the Size pop-up menu underneath the preview window, and click Open to create the original photo.
Step Two.	Double-click on the RAW file again to open it in Camera Raw once more. Keep all other settings the same, click on the Lens tab on the right side of the dialog, and then drag the Vignetting Amount slider to the left to darken the outer edges of the photo. You can also experiment with the Vignetting Midpoint slider. Click Open.
Step Three.	Using the Move tool (V), with the Shift key held down, click-and-drag the second copy of the image (with the burned-in edges) onto the original photo.
Step Four.	If you want the effect to be even more subtle, add a layer mask to the top layer by clicking on the Add Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers palette. With the layer mask active, use the Rectangular Marquee tool (M) to create a large selection that leaves a slight border. Fill the selection with black by pressing D, then X to set your Foreground color to black, then pressing Option-Delete (PC: Alt-Backspace). Use the Gaussian Blur filter (Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur) to soften the edges of the layer mask. You can also apply a similar effect to JPEG files by using the Lens Correction filter, as you'll see in the following steps.

Step One.	Press Command-J (PC: Control-J) to duplicate the Background layer.
Step Two.	From the Filter menu, choose Distort>Lens Correction. In the Lens Correction dialog, you may want to hide the grid by turning off the Show Grid checkbox below the preview window. Drag the Vignette Amount slider to the left to darken the outer edges of the photo. You can also experiment with the Vignette Midpoint slider. The final result is shown here.
Step Three.	If you want the effect to be even more subtle, add a layer mask to the top layer by clicking on the Add Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers palette. With the layer mask active, use the Rectangular Marquee tool (M) to create a large selection that leaves a slight border. Fill the selection with black by pressing D, then X to set your Foreground color to black, then pressing Option-Delete (PC: Alt-Backspace). Use the Gaussian Blur filter (Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur) to soften the edges of the layer mask.