How do you blur around a subject?

[orillia]

Let's say I want to focus on someone's face. But I want to blur around them. I want it to fade softly to a blur going away from their face.

I've been trying to do it by selecting an area, then selecting the inverse. Applying some Gaussian blur. Even with feathering, I can't seem to make it a seamless fade to a nice blur. There's that line from clear to blur around them.

[ernst]

Either try feathering your selection more (at least 100 pixels on a full size photo) or use a layer mask (better). On the mask, the areas that shoudn't be affected are painted black. Using a soft brush and variable opacity of the brush you can make any fade you want...

[orillia]

Oh great. Now I have to figure out how to do layer masks.

[ernst]

It is not as difficult as it seems...
When you add an adjustment layer (the black and white circle on the layers palette), the mask is already there: the white rectangle at the right on the layer. If not, add a mask by clicking the grey rectangle with the white circle on the layers palette.
Click it once, so the mask is selected.
You see that the foreground [is this English?] and background colors in the tools palette heve changed to black and white.
Make black the foreground and then click the brush tool. Choose a reasonable large and soft brush and start painting in your photo.
You'll see black strokes appear on the layer mask of the adjustment layer and any adjustments you made are undone where you painted.

If you made a mistake, just paint again with white.

The main advantage is that you don't touch the original photo so you can always make different adjustments if you need too.

Try it and have fun! Good luck,
Ernst

[hollybelle]

You could also achieve the same thing before the image hits post processing by using a shallow DOF.

[mnoble]

Let's say I want to focus on someone's face. But I want to blur around them. I want it to fade softly to a blur going away from their face.

I've been trying to do it by selecting an area, then selecting the inverse. Applying some Gaussian blur. Even with feathering, I can't seem to make it a seamless fade to a nice blur. There's that line from clear to blur around them.

Try this. I have been using this technique with some excellent results. You can do this on a separate layer in Photoshop or the original. Do all the cropping, balancing, retouching that you want to do first. Then, go under the filters and select Blur/Gaussian Blur. Blur the entire photo to the extent you want for the background. Then go to the History Palette and activate the preceding action. (The one before the Gaussian Blur) This will visually eliminate the blur you just applied. Then go to the Tools Palette and select the Memory Brush. Then go to the History Palette and click on the the little box just to the left of the Gaussian Blur Action. Next select the size brush that is appropriate (use a soft edged brush) and begin to paint in the area you want to blur. The Memory Brush will use the information from the Gaussian Blur and apply that to the area you brush. I think that this is a really fast and effective way to accomplish that blurred background.

Good luck.

[emmaelice]

If you want that effect without having to use layering, here is a free program that will do that exact effect for you. Just go to Picasa.com and download their program. It has other nice features as well I think you will like.

[agroni]

Ok, in photoshop you can achieve almost any effect! But wouldn't it be more effective and natural if you could actually capture that blur effect with you camera. Just simply use wide opening and focus on the face. Everything behind the face will automatically be blured.
Sorry for changing the subject but i am not a big fan of photoshoping

[madlights]

Let's say I want to focus on someone's face. But I want to blur around them. I want it to fade softly to a blur going away from their face.

I've been trying to do it by selecting an area, then selecting the inverse. Applying some Gaussian blur. Even with feathering, I can't seem to make it a seamless fade to a nice blur. There's that line from clear to blur around them.

Try this. I have been using this technique with some excellent results. You can do this on a separate layer in Photoshop or the original. Do all the cropping, balancing, retouching that you want to do first. Then, go under the filters and select Blur/Gaussian Blur. Blur the entire photo to the extent you want for the background. Then go to the History Palette and activate the preceding action. (The one before the Gaussian Blur) This will visually eliminate the blur you just applied. Then go to the Tools Palette and select the Memory Brush. Then go to the History Palette and click on the the little box just to the left of the Gaussian Blur Action. Next select the size brush that is appropriate (use a soft edged brush) and begin to paint in the area you want to blur. The Memory Brush will use the information from the Gaussian Blur and apply that to the area you brush. I think that this is a really fast and effective way to accomplish that blurred background.

Good luck.

Thanks for another way...I've never tried this way either and it does work slick for a number of things besides blur too. Tried it on a couple...worked like a charm. In answer to agroni...I also agree it's much easier to use a shallow depth of field that a low fstop number gives with a DSLR, but sometimes in the field it's easy to forget, or to see something later that could have benefitted from a shallower DOF. also digicams vary on DOF depending somewhat on sensor size, and zoom etc. It looks more realistic no doubt when obtaining it "in camera".

[mrlenin]

It's easy to do with using linear blur filter

[mesanna]

Let's say I want to focus on someone's face. But I want to blur around them. I want it to fade softly to a blur going away from their face.

I've been trying to do it by selecting an area, then selecting the inverse. Applying some Gaussian blur. Even with feathering, I can't seem to make it a seamless fade to a nice blur. There's that line from clear to blur around them.

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[bobt54]

You blurdle when you up man, heh! You blurdle. Fine and felt flittle. You norp. And lub um. Lub up down an awl around. Clip clap split splat. Climp spat fling mat mat mat mat. I’m nappy now no it. Knot all ways. But perty neer ner near nere. Glad am ya, glanp ap yan. Lappy. You blurdle when you’re up man, eh. Fine and lit fettle. You norp and luck yum. Lip up down and a round. Clip clap slip slap. Clip mat flung at hat. I am not doing it. Not now not any way. But near nuff snuff. Puff. Piffle strit. Lad at lamp. Flat hat.

WTF!

Or you could just do drugs like our friend here and everything would be naturally blurred.

[andrys]

Try this. I have been using this technique with some excellent results. You can do this on a separate layer in Photoshop or the original. Do all the cropping, balancing, retouching that you want to do first. Then, go under the filters and select Blur/Gaussian Blur. Blur the entire photo to the extent you want for the background. Then go to the History Palette and activate the preceding action. (The one before the Gaussian Blur) This will visually eliminate the blur you just applied.

An easier way to do this (and more effective for what you can do with
the subject) is blur the entire photo to the extent you want for the
background, as you said - THEN go in History back to PRE-blur, check
that on the left to use that as the Source for your history-brushing.

THEN go to where you were after the blurring (most current state),
pick a fat brush size for History-Brush and just brush over the subject to
bring back the history state of pre-blur so the subject is sharp.

You can chose a lower opacity setting to build back sharpness as you
like. This way you can bring eyes back to top sharpness that existed
WHILE not bringing pores and flaws back as strongly (unless you want to).
Gives you a lot of flexibility for the main subject.