I would like to create dodged oval vignettes around my photos in the printing process. Last night I experimented with a oval cut out of a piece of black mount board but hitting a timer button and holding the matt board in the center of the paper during exposure proved rather difficult. I think that laying the oval template on the paper would give a sharp edge and I want the image to fade to white. I tried elevating the template with legs made from skewers which worked better but it is difficult placing paper in the easel without disturbing the template position. I have seen a tool for this on ebay but a search of B&H and Freestyle showed only filters for vignetting during film exposure. Does anyone have any suggestions?

-- Mark Hillier (mhillier@lawco.com), December 12, 2000

Answers

Hold the vignetter up against the lens so one corner covers the lens. Press the button and then lower the vignetter to expose your print. I'd think you should wiggle it a little to avoid any hard edges appearing on the print. I start all my dodging and burning this way, regardless of what tool I'm using.

-- Keith Nichols (knichols@iopener.net), December 12, 2000.

Mark, or try placing your oval cutout on a clean sheet of glass and holding/moving that between the enlarger lens and the paper.

chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), December 13, 2000.

I make a ragged edged circle in a piece of stiff opaque cardboard by tearing out the opening. I then hold the cardboard over the image and lightly shake the cardboard during exposure. I use a footswitch to start exposure. I specifically bought a footswitch compatible timer to facilitate this type of printing manipulation.

-- Robert Orofino (rorofino@iopener.net), December 13, 2000.