I need help!

[kelack]

I think my lost voice and sore throat are affecting my brain. Have been looking through the threads for a way to blur out the backgrounds of photos in Photoshop CS3 (needs to be today as free trial will run out tomorrow - didn't realise - oops)

Can anyone point me in the right direction of a thread please

Might as well do something while sitting on backside at home

 

[Phil T]

Hi Kelack
Select the area you want kept in focus, then hit ctrl+I to select the inverse area, then Filter->Blur->(whichever mode you want).
Hope that helps...

 

[Glen]

As above, but you might also want to feather it, depending on how great a blend between in and out of focus, if you want nice blend go for 200-250 pixels on the feather.

 

[Yv]

Add a feather too so its more gradual. when you click on the selection tool [lasso usually for best] in the top bar there is a box for feather... if using full res pics straight off camera, start with a 100px feather, then increase or decrease for best effect.



Damn!! Glen beat me to it

 

[kelack]

Awww, cheers people.....off to have a play now. Basically, I'm doing a calendar for my family with the best of my shots from the Big Cat day and the Eagle Heights day and in some of them, the background is a bit busy. Have got a selection of 38 shots and some of them I can play with. Nan & Grandad would be happy with them having stuff in but I wouldn't so hi ho hi ho it's off to play we go

 

[Glen]

Add a feather too so its more gradual. when you click on the selection tool [lasso usually for best] in the top bar there is a box for feather... if using full res pics straight off camera, start with a 100px feather, then increase or decrease for best effect.



Damn!! Glen beat me to it

mooowwwowwhhhaahhhaa

 

[kelack]

What do you think?

Before:

After:

 

[kelack]

Mmmmm think I prefer the original

Back to drawing board. Any suggestions as to what I coudl do with background?

 

[Phil T]

You could lose it completely - i.e. do the same as before but instead of filter, fill it with black/white (ctrl+U then slide lightness/darkness control to the end of the scale)?

 

[kelack]

How's this:

 

[susie]

To be honest I prefered the earlier ones, for me that one needs the bit its sitting on to show more, and for some reason the fact that the background has been phased down or whatever you call it makes me look at it more - but there again I am weird!

Super picture though, wish I was that good.

 

[Phil T]

Just wondered what a black bg & crop would look like (v. quick & dirty...)

You could do a better selection job than I have & I think it would look pretty good...

 

[Phil T]

Here's one I made earlier to show how it can be done with time...

 

[susie]

OMG, that second one looks as if it could come out of the picture at me!

 

[kelack]

Thanks Susie, I did wonder if it would. Might just leave it with the 2nd one

Thanks for your comment as well, it's quite easy when they are just sitting there

Going off to play a bit more, maybe make the selection tool smaller so I can get more detail round the edges so when I blur, the edges don't go too much. Will make sure the fag bin is cropped out too

 

[kelack]

Here's one I made earlier to show how it can be done with time...

Wow, I see what you mean, that's pretty effective isn't it?