Adding a gradient blur to image

SW
Posted By
Steven_Wild
Nov 8, 2006
Views
339
Replies
7
Status
Closed
Hi,

For the first time, I’m trying to ‘non-destructively’ edit an image. I’ve successfully adjusted levels by adding an adjustment layer, which wasn’t particularly difficult.

However, now I want to blur part of the image (to artificially change the depth of field). I selected the area I want to blur and tried creating a channel, and tried adding a vector mask, but I’m really not sure what I’m doing. When I apply a gradient and select blur, I don’t see any blurring happening.

I’ve had a read of the online manual, particularly Blur, Transparency and Gradients, but can’t understand enough to get a successful outcome. If someone could point me in the right direction I would be most grateful.

If the advice is to RTFM, please give me an idea what other topics I should be looking at and I’ll be more than happy to work it out for myself.

I’ve included links to 2 images. One showing the image in photoshop and the layers I currently have. In the other image I’ve highlighted in blue the area I wish to blur – as a gradient, where the blur is less at the bottom and stronger at the top.

BTW, I am using a Pentium4, WinXP, 1MB RAM and PS CS2.

Thanks in advance,

Steven
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B
Bernie
Nov 8, 2006
Bluring the extra channel will not change the image, it will just blur the chanel.

There is no way to blur an image non-destructively.

Make a duplicate layer and blur that, the use layer masks (on the blurred layer) to hide the parts you don’t want blurred
JZ
Joe_Zydeco
Nov 8, 2006
Steven, as CN said, you need another layer. Here’s one way to do that: on the original layer, select the area to be blurred, then press Ctrl-J to copy that onto its own layer (Layer 1).

Blur Layer 1 to your liking, then add a Layer Mask to it. Select the black-to-white Gradient tool and drag it upward over the part of the image to be blurred. That should do it.
SW
Steven_Wild
Nov 8, 2006
Thanks to you both. I’m at work at the moment but I’ll give it a go later today.

BTW, Do you know of any online tutorials that explain in more detail how to use adjustment layers, etc?

Cheers,

Steven
B
Bernie
Nov 8, 2006
BTW, Do you know of any online tutorials that explain in more detail how to use adjustment layers, etc?

Personally no, I have never used an online tutorial in my life, I much prefer to live dangerously and experiment (plus I spend way too much time in this forums, it’s amazing the stuff you can pick up from the folks around here)
SW
Steven_Wild
Nov 9, 2006
Hi Joe, CN.

Well, here’s my effort.

It’s what I wanted, and it worked exactly as you suggested.

Thanks again,

Steven
JZ
Joe_Zydeco
Nov 9, 2006
Looks good, Steven. Why don’t you try doing the same thing to the grass in the foreground, with a lesser amount of blur. I think that could make it look more like you shot it at f:2 or so.

I love tutorials because that’s the way I learn best (I’m not very creative). But I’ve not tried any tutorials for adjustment layers. I Googled "photoshop adjustment layers tutorials" and came up with about 274,000 hits. You might give a few of those a try.
SW
Steven_Wild
Nov 9, 2006
Thanks Joe,

I’ll give the extra foreground blur a go.

I’m not a big fan of searching for things like tutorials – you can spend hours wading through a whole lot of rubbish sites, when often, someone else knows of a real goldmine. Guess I’d better get my waders on…

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