How to easily make a blurred background in Photoshop using three cool methods? The main methods of blurring in Photoshop - theory and practice.
If you want to receive beautiful photos with a blurred background, which is what expensive optics do for professional photographers, then it is better to use Photoshop program. This article will present two ways to make a beautiful blurred background in photos using this program.
How to blur the background in Photoshop: method one
The first method will be much easier than the second, but it looks less quality and is suitable for large objects and clear lines. If the model's hair is flying in the photo, then it will be difficult to bring this plan to life.
To make blur look natural, you need to remember some focal plane principles:
- The main subject in the frame always remains clear and sharp;
- Objects blur more when they are further away from the subject. All elements near the subject are blurred less.
Go to Photoshop and open the photo. You will now be working with the tools in the left panel.
Find the “Blur” or “Blur Tool”. It is presented almost in the middle of the panel and is indicated by a droplet.
You need to adjust the size and intensity of the tool. At the top you will see the “Strength” line, set the slider in it to about 70-80%. Set the size yourself, depending on your photo.
Start drawing with the tool around the main object, try not to touch the model. If necessary, enlarge the image and work carefully.
As a result, you will get a soft blur that does not affect the main subject.
How to blur the background in Photoshop: method two
With the first method of execution, you cannot set the direction of the blur, and if you are still poorly equipped with the tool, then the work may turn out to be sloppy. To make things look more professional, try using the Pen tool.
Pay attention to the left side of the toolbar, click on “Pen”.
This tool is quite easy to use, you just need a little practice. You have to put points and then bend lines from them. In this way, outline your entire model in the frame.
Once you are finished and complete the circuit, press right click mouse along the contour. In the pop-up window, select the line “Make Selection” or “Selection”.
In the window that opens, set the value to “0” and click “Ok”.
Now pay attention to right side programs. You need to remove the padlock icon from your layer. Just click on the icon once.
After that, grab the other tool on the left side of the screen. It's called "Selection". Right-click on the outline again and click on the “Layer Via Cut” line.
You will immediately see a second layer on the right side of the window, go to the bottom one by simply clicking on it with the mouse.
Then click on the “Filter” or “Filter” menu, in the drop-down list click “Blur” or “Blur”. Now you have to choose the blur type. They differ in direction, for example, you can make a slight blur of the background in an upward or sideways motion, which will add dynamics to the frame; regular blur without any movement is also available - it is called “Gaussian Blur” or “Gaussian Blur”.
In the same example, “Radial Blur” or “Circular Blur” will be applied so that the edges of the photo curl nicely around the model.
Set the blur value to 1-4, depending on your goals. If you want soft blur, then 1 or 2 is quite suitable.
Take a closer look at how the background on the sides is now twisted into a ring. All you have to do is adjust the photo.
Finish editing by making color corrections and any artistic effects. To make the blur look more natural, you can take the History Brush tool and bring back some of the elements around the model to a sharper look.
Very often, when photographing objects, the latter merge with the background, “getting lost” in space due to almost the same sharpness. Blurring the background helps solve the problem.
This lesson will tell you how to make background blurred in Photoshop.
Amateurs do the following: make a copy of the image layer, blur it, apply a black mask and open it on the background. This method has a right to life, but most often such work turns out to be sloppy.
You and I will go a different route, we are professionals...
First you need to separate the object from the background. Read how to do this so as not to prolong the lesson.
So, we have the original image:
Create a copy of the layer and select the car along with the shadow.
Special precision is not needed here; we will then place the car back.
After selection, right-click inside the outline and create a selected area.
Set the shading radius 0 pixels. Invert the selection using a keyboard shortcut CTRL+SHIFT+I.
We get the following (highlight):
Now press the keyboard shortcut CTRL+J, thereby copying the car to new layer.
Place the cut out car under a copy of the background layer and make a duplicate of the latter.
Apply a filter to the top layer "Gaussian Blur" which is in the menu "Filter - Blur".
Blur the background as much as we think is necessary. Everything is in your hands here, just don’t overdo it, otherwise the car will seem like a toy.
We need to do smooth transition from a clear image in the foreground to a blurry image in the background.
Take the tool "Gradient" and configure it as shown in the screenshots below.
Next comes the most difficult, but at the same time interesting, process. We need to drag the gradient across the mask (don’t forget to click on it, thereby activating it for editing) so that the blur begins approximately on the bushes behind the car, since they are located behind it.
We pull the gradient from bottom to top. If the first (second...) didn’t work, it’s okay, the gradient can be drawn again without any additional actions.
We get the following result:
Now we place our cut out car at the very top of the palette.
And we see that the edges of the car after cutting out do not look very attractive.
Clamp CTRL and click on the layer thumbnail, thereby selecting it on the canvas.
Then select the tool "Selection"(any) and press the button "Refine Edge" on top panel tools.
In the tool window we will perform smoothing and shading. It’s difficult to give any advice here; it all depends on the size and quality of the image. My settings are like this:
Now let's invert the selection ( CTRL+SHIFT+I) and press DEL, thereby removing part of the car along the contour.
Remove the selection using a keyboard shortcut CTRL+D.
Let's compare original photo with the end result:
As you can see, the car has become more prominent against the background of the surrounding landscape.
With the help this technique you can blur the background in Photoshop CS6 on any images and emphasize any subjects and objects, even in the center of the composition. Gradients are not only linear...
Unfortunately, ordinary compacts and smartphones most often do not know how to create beautiful bokeh. This is explained by the fact that such devices have a built-in matrix smaller size. What should owners of budget cameras do? We can recommend that they use Photoshop, where making a blurred background is not difficult. All you need is appropriate practice, which you will get now.
How to blur the background in Photoshop?
First, you need to clarify that not every photo is suitable for blurring the background. It is best to choose a photo in which the person’s legs are not visible, as are nearby objects. In our case, the person is standing against the background of the forest; this frame is ideal for processing. If there was also a bush or tree in the foreground of the photograph, then great difficulties would arise.
You should immediately remember that the desired effect is achieved using the Gaussian Blur function. If you apply it to any photo, you will get the impression that the photographer forgot to focus his camera. But we need to understand how to blur the background in Photoshop, not the entire image. Therefore, you should initially select the object that remains in the sharpness zone. There are several ways to do this. The easiest one is to use the Magnetic Lasso tool. If you already know how to use it (in one of the previous lessons we talked in detail about its work) - this is very good. If you don’t have enough skills, you’ll have to work hard. But in this lesson we will only touch briefly this method. First of all, it’s worth talking about how you can get a blurred background using a mask. This is difficult for a beginner, but the result is impressive. It may take you 15-20 minutes to process one photo.
Blurred background in Photoshop CS5
First you need to create a copy of the existing layer. This is done in the Layers panel. Just open this palette and press Ctrl+J. You can also drag the “Background” layer onto the “Create New Layer” button. This will also cause a copy of it to appear.
The new layer needs to be blurred. As mentioned above, the Gaussian Blur filter is used for this. It is located along the path “Filter-Blur-Gaussian Blur”. The filter is adjusted by dragging the slider, which affects the blur radius. Focus on the background at this moment. It should be blurred as if you took the photo with a DSLR camera at a wide open aperture. Do not overdo it, otherwise the picture will not look realistic. If the changes in the photo are not displayed, then check the box next to the “View” item. This is how a blurred background is created in Photoshop CS5 later versions.
When you are satisfied with the degree of blur, click the “OK” button. Now you need to apply a layer mask to this layer. To do this, follow the path “Layers - Layer Mask - Show All”. None external changes after clicking on this item you will not notice. But in the Layers panel you will see a white rectangle.
And now the hardest part begins. Masks in Photoshop allow you to remove the effect of an applied filter from specified areas. Therefore, you need to tell the program that the person in the photo should remain sharp. To do this you will have to paint it completely black. This is difficult, so zoom in to 100%.
Select black color and then go to the Brush tool. Set the hardness to 20%. The diameter depends on the resolution of your photo and the size of the person. When the diameter suits you, start drawing in black on the subject.
Make a blurry background in Photoshop
Gradually you need to make the entire figure of a person sharp. It's okay if you go slightly beyond its edges. At any time you can press the Latin key X. This will change the color from black to white. Now all that remains is to brush over those places that accidentally became sharp. The filter action will be applied to them immediately.
Paint white along the outline of the person. You must ensure that even a piece of the background is not sharp. For accuracy, you can reduce the brush size and increase the image scale to 200-300%.
Most of the work is ready: we have already succeeded in making a blurred background in Photoshop. But there is now a kind of halo around a person with its blurred outline. You need to get rid of him. To do this, use the Stamp tool.
Merge both layers into one. To do this, follow the path “Layers - Flatten”. The background layer needs to be unlocked. To do this, double-click on it in the Layers panel and give it a name. Next, use the Stamp tool. Set the pressure to 10%. All that remains is to remove all existing artifacts. You should already know how to use this tool. If this is not the case, then Photoshop will explain everything to you. In short, then this tool copies one area of the picture to another location. The area to be copied is selected by pressing Alt keys and left mouse button. Then click next to the outline of the person so that a stamp appears on it in the form of a copied circle. Don't forget to adjust the diameter of the brush, otherwise you risk getting too much on the person's figure or taking too long.
The end result is a pretty good image. Some may have the impression that it was obtained with a good lens and SLR camera. But in fact, all you have to do is look closely and some artifacts will become noticeable. Only very painstaking photo processing, which sometimes takes an hour, will help you get rid of them. This is why experienced photographers use high-quality, fast optics. It's better to spend a decent amount, but then save large number time.
How to blur the background in Photoshop CS6?
As for the second method of blurring the background in Photoshop, it is very similar to the first. A copy of the background layer is also created, and the unlocked background layer blurred using the above method. Then you should go to the top layer and select the person with any in a convenient way. The most commonly used tool for this is the Magnetic Lasso tool. Then all that remains is to invert the selection and enjoy the result. This is also how you can blur the background in Photoshop CS6 and later versions of the graphics editor.
This concludes our lesson. Today you have mastered another useful skill that can then be applied to almost anyone. portrait photo. Now you know how to blur the background in Photoshop, which should only make your photos better.
Why blur the background? The reasons can be very different. Sometimes you need to emphasize the object in the center of the photo. Sometimes the background is unflattering and then blur is a salvation. In each individual case there may be a reason to blur the background.
Using the example of a photograph of a monument, let's look at two ways to blur the background in the Photoshop program, Russian version CS-4.
Blurring the background in Photoshop
Method No. 1
1. After opening the picture, use the Lasso tool. Outline the background, closing it. 
2. Apply the following sequence to the selected area: Filter – Blur – Gaussian Blur. Set the radius parameter to 2.1 pixels or any other at your discretion. Click OK. 
3. Deselect the selection using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + D.
4. It would be possible to leave it this way, but the boundaries between blurred and non-blurred areas are very striking. 
So let's use the Blur tool. 
Let's install a brush of the required size and walk along the entire border. Now let's save the result. 
Method No. 2
1. After opening the image, use the Quick Mask tool. Click on the quick mask button. Then click on the brush, at the same time selecting right size brushes Slowly begin to draw a brush around the monument in order to highlight the background. The places where we hold will take on a red patina. This way we know where we have already touched with the brush. 
2. After small details circled, you can enlarge the brush and in 1-2 seconds also process the remaining background area. 
Remove the quick mask by pressing the letter Q or the same button. Invert: Ctrl + Shift + I. Now you can repeat the operation with the filter from the first method, starting from point 2: that is, turn on Filter again - Blur - Gaussian Blur - radius 2.1 pixels. You will get approximately the same result. 
In general, the main thing you need to understand about the blur system is that first you need to select the area that you want to blur, and then apply a filter to it. And for highlighting in Photoshop, there are several different techniques. We have just looked at two of them.
Who asked me to do a lesson on the topic “How to blur an image.” At first I wanted to make a primitive one, but therefore I changed my mind and decided to publish more practical lessons that will help not only beginner “Photoshoppers”, but also photographers. This article will use some terms from the language of photographers, which is why at the end of the article I will make a mini-dictionary for those who do not understand their meaning. New words in the vocabulary have never hurt anyone.
Why do you need to learn how to blur the background in photography? The question is how to blur the background very relevant, and is asked by many beginners who have just picked up a DSLR. A blurred background makes the photo more mysterious, or something. And most importantly, it highlights the main object! But, frankly speaking, I’m not a fan of this method; I’m for “natural” bokeh. But, if your lens does not shine with “bokeh” (for example, like mine), then there is nothing you can do about it, you have to “get out of it this way.”
So, let's get to the lesson itself. I want to say in advance that you need basic concepts about how to use masks (I’m giving a link to a lesson from another site, since everything is described there perfectly, and I no longer see the point in writing anything about masks).
Open the photo in Adobe program Photoshop.
Make a copy of the main layer (you can do it with Ctrl + J). In the future we will work with a copy of the layer.
Now let's go to “Filter” – “Blur” – “Gaussian Blur...” and set it to about 5.5 pixels. (you can do more, you can do less, depending on the situation and the degree of blur you want to achieve):
Now turn on the copy mask of the main layer. This can be done by clicking on this button and while holding down Alt:
And when the mask has been successfully created, select the brush thickness and “paint” the background:
And in the end we should get something like this:
The photo I chose was not entirely successful, because it’s hard to calculate at first glance where you can make bokeh so that it looks natural.
And yes, this method is not ideal, but we can also learn how to do bokeh while shooting (if you have a DSLR). But for that you learned blur the background of a photo in Photoshop.
Now, I want you to even compare what YOU got with real bokeh (I took a random photo from my collection):
