If you’re looking to add some artistic flair to your photos, blurring the background can make your subject stand out and create a beautiful bokeh effect.
This technique is often associated with high-end cameras and wide-aperture lenses, but even if you don’t have access to these tools, you can achieve stunning blur backgrounds in Adobe Photoshop.
Blurring the background, or bokeh, is particularly popular in portrait photography, as it can help to draw the viewer’s attention to the subject. Many smartphones now offer a portrait mode that mimics the effect but with some limitations.
By using Photoshop, you can have greater control over the placement and appearance of the blur, allowing you to get creative with your shots.
Adding a blurred background in Photoshop offers flexibility and control, which you may not have had in the camera. The program offers a range of tools for selecting and blurring the background, as well as various options for managing the resulting blur.
With these tools, you can choose where and how much blur to apply, creating a unique and eye-catching effect. One of the easiest ways to achieve a realistic blur background in Photoshop is by using the field blur tool.
This tool can create natural-looking blur effects, without requiring hours of manual work. By using the field blur tool, you can quickly and easily get from a plain image to a beautiful blur background.
What is bokeh or blur in Photoshop?
Bokeh is a term used in photography to describe the aesthetic quality of the out-of-focus areas in an image that is created by the camera lens. It’s not just about the amount of blur in the foreground or background, but the overall quality and look of the blur. The separation between the subject and the background is typically achieved by using a shallow depth of focus.
This creates a blurred background commonly referred to as “background blur.” The visual appearance of the blurred areas, including the reflection of points of light, is what photographers refer to as Bokeh.
Why is a blur so important?
Background blur, also known as bokeh, can add depth and interest to a photograph by separating the subject from its surroundings. While this effect is often achieved through the use of wide-aperture lenses in high-end cameras, it’s also possible to create a blurred background in Adobe Photoshop with the help of various tools and techniques.
Blur in general, including background blur, can also be used to convey motion and atmosphere in a photograph. For example, motion blur can be used to show the movement of a subject, while a blurred background can add a sense of depth and perspective. By adding blur to a photo, you can often enhance the visual impact and storytelling power of the image.
One of the benefits of using Photoshop to create a blurred background is the level of control it provides. You can select exactly which parts of the image you want to blur and adjust the strength and style of the blur to achieve the desired effect. This can be especially useful when shooting with a camera that doesn’t have a wide-aperture lens or a portrait mode.
In addition to using Photoshop’s field blur tool, there are other methods to achieve a blurred background in Photoshop, including the use of layers and filters. By experimenting with different techniques and tools, you can develop your unique style and approach to creating blurred backgrounds.
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Before getting started
There are several different ways to blur a background in Photoshop, each with a different level of control – and complexity. After experimenting with everything from specific choices to a full-fledged depth map, we discovered that the field blur tool produced the greatest, most realistic results in the shortest amount of time.
True lens blur is reliant on numerous elements, including the focal length of the lens, the shape and size of the aperture, and the distance from the subject, making it difficult to replicate in Photoshop. Getting the distance effect right is possibly the most crucial of these.
To achieve a blur effect that seems like the real thing and changes with distance in Photoshop, you must tell the computer which items are closest and farthest from the camera.
Those that are farther away from the subject should have more blur than closer objects. You could spend an hour making a detailed depth map, but the field blur tool allows you to get close with much less effort.
The field blur tool will easily simulate the blurring of a more costly lens, but Photoshop procedures are nearly always more work than creating the effect in the camera. Consider how a blur in a genuine image looks while you work. Everything on a two-dimensional plane in space is crisp when a lens focuses on it.
The amount of blurring rises as you go away from the plane of focus — that is, away from the camera — but any objects in the same plane as your subject should stay focused.
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In Photoshop, learn how to blur the background in photoshop.
1. Select the field blur tool from the toolbox
Navigate to Filter > Blur Gallery > Field Blur while the image is open in Photoshop. You may choose which regions of your image to blur inside the field blur window, and you can manage the degree and type of blur with the blur tools on the right.
2. Place the first blur pin
The blur pins tell Photoshop how much and where to blur. Photoshop automatically puts the first pin when you open the field blur panel. Drag the pin to the background, or the area farthest away from the focal point.
Drag the blur slider to the right until you get the appropriate amount of blur. (You can also adjust the blur level by dragging on the partial circle outside the pin.)
This pin will have the biggest blur because it is the furthest point from the focus point. I chose a blur of 100 in the example image, but the numbers will change depending on the effect you want. By clicking on any pin, you can always go back and modify the blur.
3. Place a blur pin at zero on the topic
Your entire image will be hazy when you initially launch the field blur tool. By clicking on the topic and sliding the blur slider down to zero, you may place a pin immediately on top of it. The background should now be hazy, and the subject should be sharp.
Place more blur pins on the subject, one at a time, until the entire subject is sharp. Use as few pins as possible, but don’t be concerned if the background becomes sharper as you set them.
4. Keep working on the blur
To blur a picture or background, simply add more pins to rectify this and create a more natural result. Adjust the blur based on the distance from the initial background point – items closer to the background should have a blur that is closer to that point (in our case, closer to 100), but objects closer to the topic should have a much lower amount of blur (closer to zero).
Place more points and tweak the blur until the entire image is blurred depending on the distance from the topic. Don’t worry if this starts to interfere with the background blur; simply add more background points to keep the backdrop appropriately blurred.
The background immediately to the left of the horse’s face was still a little sharp in our sample image, so we put another point there with the same blur value of 100.
5. If necessary, adjust the blur effects
Depending on your image, you may (or may not) choose to apply the blur effects options once you’re satisfied with the placement and intensity of the blur at various distances. What each one does is as follows:
- To simulate lens bokeh, the “light bokeh” setting brightens the brightest points in the out-of-focus area. If you don’t have point lights in the background, stay away from these controls.
The “bokeh color” option changes the color of those bright spots, while the “light range” option changes the ones that are included in the bokeh effect. - The noise tab will fix any blurred noise in the backdrop so that it matches the subject. You’ll need to use this option if you’re dealing with an image shot at a high ISO, for example, so that the subject doesn’t have more noise than the backdrop, which would look odd.
Change the amount and size of the grain with the sliders to match the grain in the subject. You can leave this setting alone if there is no discernible noise in the original image.
When you’re satisfied with the blur, bokeh, and noise levels, click OK, and Photoshop will produce the effect.
There are several more ways to do a blur effect in Photoshop, but the field blur tool is a good place to start.
It provides realistic effects without the need for complicated masks or depth maps. Let’s learn alternative ways to blur backgrounds in Photoshop.
1. SELECT A PHOTOGRAPH
To create blurring, on your computer, launch Adobe Photoshop CC. Then, from the menu bar, select File. From the dropdown menu, select the Open option. Now select a photo from your collection to modify.
2. VISIT THE BLUR GALLERY
After you’ve chosen a photo, go to the menu bar and select Filter. Find the Blur Gallery option in the dropdown menu. When you click on it, a choice of blur possibilities appears.
We recommend using Iris Blur to blur the background of your shot since it allows you to identify a focal point while blurring the rest of the image.
3. USE THE IRIS BLUR
After selecting the Iris Blur option, a huge Blur Ring with a Pin in the center will appear on the image. There will be other dots all around the ring as well. The Blur Ring’s Pin functions as a target.
The image would be sharp and clear at the target’s center, but it would get increasingly hazy as the distance from the center increased. You can now click the pin’s center and drag it to your subject. To place the pin, let go of your mouse.
4. TAKE CARE OF THE BLUR TRANSITION
There are four larger white dots inside the Blur Ring. The blur transition area is defined by these dots. When you move the dots closer to the focal point, the blur transition becomes smoother, and when you move the dots away from the focal point, the blur transition becomes sharper. To change the size of the blur transition area, click and drag the white dots.
5. REDUCE THE SIZE OF YOUR BLUR AREA
The blurred image preview has four little dots along the outside ring. Your cursor will transform into a bent arrow when you move your mouse over one of the dots. Move your mouse slightly clockwise to rotate this double-ended arrow.
As a result, the blur area will grow. The blurred area will diminish as you move the arrow counter-clockwise. Instead of clicking and dragging the dots, you can click and drag the Blur Ring line.
6. ADJUST THE AMOUNT OF BLUR
The Blur Knob can be used to alter the blur amount. The knob is located in the center of the Blur Preview, around the Pin.
The blur is enhanced by rotating the Blur knob clockwise and decreased by rotating it counter-clockwise. The Blur slider in the Blur Tools panel to the right of your screen can also be used to modify the blur.
7. BLUR YOUR PHOTO’S BACKGROUND
By repeating the steps above, you can keep tweaking the Iris Blur. Simply go to the top of the Blur Gallery option once you’re happy with your background. Your changes will be saved after you click OK.
It might assist you in increasing the focus on your subject by blurring the backdrop of your photographs in Photoshop or giving the background a slight out-of-focus look. It’s also a highly sought-after look that every wedding photographer should be able to achieve.
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Here are some tips for blurring the background in Photoshop:
- Use the right tool for the job. There are a variety of tools in Photoshop that can be used to blur the background, each with its strengths and weaknesses. The most common tools are the Gaussian Blur filter, the Lens Blur filter, and the Smart Sharpen filter.
- Choose the right settings. The amount of blur you apply to the background will depend on the image and the effect you’re trying to achieve. For a subtle blur, use a low radius setting. For a more dramatic blur, use a higher radius setting.
- Be careful with the edges. When you blur the background, it’s important to be careful with the edges of your subject. If you blur too much, you can end up with a halo effect around your subject. To avoid this, use a feathered edge when applying the blur.
- Use layers. Layers are a great way to experiment with different blur effects. You can create a new layer and apply the blur to the layer, without affecting the original image. This way, you can easily adjust the blur settings or remove the blur altogether if you’re not happy with the results.
- Use masks. Masks can be used to control where the blur is applied. To create a mask, select the layer that contains the blur and click the “Add Layer Mask” button at the bottom of the Layers panel. Then, use a brush to paint over the areas of the mask that you want to remain sharp.
- Use adjustment layers. Adjustment layers are a great way to apply non-destructive blur effects. To create an adjustment layer, click the “Create New Adjustment Layer” button at the bottom of the Layers panel and select the type of adjustment layer you want to use. Then, adjust the settings of the adjustment layer to control the amount of blur.
- Use filters. Filters can be used to apply a variety of blur effects to your images. To apply a filter, open the Filter menu and select the type of filter you want to use. Then, adjust the settings of the filter to control the amount of blur.
Final words
A photo that appears static can be transformed into something lively and unique with a blur effect. Always keep in mind that the most crucial aspect of the blur effect is that it must appear planned rather than accidental.
The simplest approach to blurring is to make sure that some parts of the image are sharp so that the blurred areas are contrasted.
It will take some work to master adding a motion blur effect to your images, but once you do, you will notice a significant difference. Hope this article will help teach you how to blur the background of an image.
