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All Forums > Tech Talk > Tech Talk Forum Page 49 > Photoshop CS Question
AuthorPost
Michael Saint
Photographer


Alexis Texas is always lovely
1062 Posts
2/01
Posted - Jun 5 2005 : 12:30PM
Anyone know a down and dirty way to blur the entire background of a photo?

Currently I can trace the foreground image and then blur the background but it leaves the lovely outline and I can't help but thinking there is probably an easier way to do this.

Thanks in advance for the help.


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MASAMUNE
Senior Member

1452 Posts
12/04
Posted - Jun 5 2005 : 2:04PM
As far as I know thats the only way to do it. The computer can't distinguish the foreground image from the background image for you.

As far as the outline being too prominent try this:

After you've traced out the foreground and put it on a new layer, blur the background layer and then use the 'blur' manual tool on the foreground to make the edges look more subtle. You can also use the 'smear' tool to smooth out jaggedy parts. The rubber stamp tool is also handy sometimes. It can get tricky

edited to add: The best way to ensure that the edges aren't so harsh in the first place is to use some 'feathering' when you cut the foreground from the background. .5-1 pixel should be good

Edited by - masamune on 6/5/2005 2:07:27 PM

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picman
Senior Member

Nothing says I love you so much as a tongue in the ass.
2884 Posts
1/03
Posted - Jun 5 2005 : 4:58PM
Try using a duplicate layer and blurring the whole thing, cut the mask on the original and knocking a hole through a layer mask on the blurred layer. You can fine tune your cutout to your heart's desire on the layer mask using brush work or some blurring there.
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Michael Saint
Photographer

Alexis Texas is always lovely
1062 Posts
2/01
Posted - Jun 12 2005 : 5:04PM
Thanks for the help. I will give it a try.
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TonyC
Comstock Films

2523 Posts
8/03
Posted - Jun 12 2005 : 5:44PM
Use a camera with a larger focal plane.

-TC

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threesomebody
Official BlowBang Judge

Would you like my autograph?
2491 Posts
12/04
Posted - Jun 13 2005 : 9:40AM
If you change the feather settings of the area selected, you won't get such a definite outline. That is the easiest way.
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picman
Senior Member

Nothing says I love you so much as a tongue in the ass.
2884 Posts
1/03
Posted - Jun 13 2005 : 5:15PM
Working on just one layer may be the simplest way to do things but just changing the feathering on a selection still leaves you with an unnatural uniformity to the transition. Doing the blurring on another layer gives you the flexibilty to tweak the transitions, leaves a background layer that's untouched, and in the case of things like fly away hair, allows you to blend the effect. Actually, the blur shoud be the background with the normal layer on top. It's really only a little more work than the down and dirty way of doing it and holds up to the most rigourous scrutiny.
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