Quick Photoshop help please....

[Dave450]

.....ok im trying to add guasian blur to an image, then delete the part i want in focus, but this is tricky around the edges, as they are out of focus!!

Is there any way of doing this as a non destructive layer???? so then if i go too far I can simply change from black to white and re-paint it correct???


Cheers!

 

[OlyPaul]

Duplicate the layer, add gaussain blur to this layer then add a layer mask to this layer and using black and the paint brush tool on the layer mask paint away the blur. If you make a mistake change to white and paint it back.

 

[Dave450]

Duplicate the layer, add gaussain blur to this layer then add a layer mask to this layer and using black and the paint brush tool on the layer mask paint away the blur. If you make a mistake change to white and paint it back.

Ahh add layer mask - thats the kiddie I was missing Thank you

Any ideas in elements 8 ? :shrug: cant find it

 

[DekHog]

No layer mask in Elements 8, but you can get a free addon to give you the function of layer masks.

I think you can also do it using the inbuilt adjustment layers somehow, but can't remember exactly how to do it.... probably a bit of fishing around the Internet would tell you how to do it this way.

Edit: Found it here.

 

[Dave450]

Thank you

 

[OlyPaul]

Ahh add layer mask - thats the kiddie I was missing Thank you

Any ideas in elements 8 ? :shrug: cant find it

Elements 9 now has the layer mask feature or you can add it has suggested.

If you do not want to go to the trouble of installing it then use what is called a clipping layer.

Open a levels adjustment layer between the two layer ,but make no adjustments as all we are going to do is borrow the layer mask.

Then holding down the Alt key move your cursor to the line between the top layer and adjustment layer till it turns from a hand to a black symbol then click.

There after activate the mask by clicking on it and continue as for a normal layer mask.

 

[Dave450]

Paul thanks for that - very informative and useful.