How to make a blurry background. How to take a photo with blurred background? Blurred background using smartphone

This Photoshop tutorial will show you how to add a blur effect to the background of a photo.

In this tutorial, we will use such a type of blur as radial or radiant. And we will apply it only to the background.

So, open your photo in photoshop:

First we need to separate the main image from the background.

1. To make the selection better use the quick mask tool (Quick Mask Mode)
Make sure the colors are set to this position black/white

Take the brush tool and start painting over the part you want to separate from the background (in our case it's the girl)

After you have fully selected the girl, click on the button to the left of the "quick mask" button - it will return you to normal mode. You will see that there are highlights.

2. Press the combination Ctrl + J to copy the selected background to a separate layer.

The panel with layers will look like this:

3. Now apply the "radial blur" filter to the new background layer.
Filter > Blur > Radial Blur .

Set the following options in the window that appears:

Amount: 20 (set this parameter at your discretion)
Method: Zoom

Once all the settings are in place, click OK to see the result!

One of the most popular questions from beginner photographers is how to get a blurry background (blurred background) in a photo. This is understandable, as a blurred background gives the photo a more interesting look, emphasizing the subject. A photo with a blurred background immediately looks much more professional and more artistic.

Let's start with the fact that in photography, for a blurred background, there is a term Bokeh (emphasis on the last syllable). Despite the fact that the word sounds in the French manner, its roots lie in the Japanese language. True, the term Bokeh is usually called not just blur, but the artistic component of blur. For example - "This lens gives beautiful bokeh, but that one is very simple."

There is an opinion that to get a blurry background, or bokeh, you definitely need a high-quality expensive lens with a large aperture or a very good camera.

There are two misconceptions here. Firstly, the camera itself plays almost no role, since background blur is created by the lens optics, and it can be quite good even on an “advanced soap dish”. Secondly, indeed, with a good fast lens, it is easier to get background blur and bokeh will be more beautiful, but this can be achieved only if other conditions are met, which will be discussed later.

Blurring itself can be obtained on a simple whale lens and even on a soap dish, if you follow 3 basic rules, which will be discussed later.

Rule 1: Open Aperture and Shallow Depth of Field

You may already be familiar with the concept of IPIG. If not, then DOF is Depth of Field. It is often referred to simply as "depth of field". Let's say you focused on a certain object. This is the center of focus. Everything in the frame will be sharp before the object and behind it - and there is the depth of the sharply depicted space. Moreover, the sharpness gradually decreases from the focus point. Providing the same blur.

The depth of field itself is a key point in getting a blurry background in the picture. For blurring, we need to get a small depth of field.

Depth of field depends on several parameters, one of which is the aperture value. Aperture is those petals inside the lens that can be in a closed or open state, changing the size of the hole through which light passes through the lens.

Aperture value - is characterized by the number F. The smaller F - the more the aperture opening is opened. The larger F, the more the aperture is clamped.

The smaller the hole is opened (large F), the greater the depth of field relative to the subject. The wider the aperture is open, the less depth of field.

Dependence of depth of field on aperture and distance

Look at the illustration above. The focus point is at a distance of 6.1 meters. The smaller the F- value, the fewer objects will fall into the sharpness zone. At f / 1.8 - only what is half a meter from the subject and a meter behind it will fall into the field of sharpness, everything else will be blurry. At f / 16 - objects at a distance of even 6 meters behind the focus point will turn out to be sharp enough.

Thus, the first rule for obtaining a blurred background in a photograph is that the smaller the F value (and, accordingly, the larger the aperture is open), the more objects in the background are blurred. As you can see, in the foreground, if there is one, we will also get a blur.

Left - F22, right f2.8 with other parameters unchanged

Rule 2. Focal length

Focal length is one of the characteristics of the lens and the second factor that affects depth of field and background blur. We will not now go into a technical explanation of what a focal length is. At a household level, we can say that the focal length is how much your lens "brings" the object. The standard range of focal lengths for "whale" lenses for DSLRs is 18-55mm. That is, at 18mm, our lens covers a large area, and at 55mm we “closer” the object.

One scene at different focal lengths

Due to the peculiarities of optical schemes, the depth of field depends on the focal length. With the same value of F - at a large focal length, the depth of field will be smaller. That is, the closer the lens “closes”, the smaller the depth of field will be. Which is what we need.

Hence the second rule. If you want to blur the background, use long lenses or zoom your lens to the maximum “zoom”.

When changing the focal length and unchanged F - we get a different blur

Rule 3. Real distance

The third factor that affects the depth of field is the distance to the subject and to the background. The closer the object is in reality to the lens, the less depth of field.

To blur the background, you need the distance from your camera to the subject to be many times less than the distance to the background. Let's say you're doing a portrait. A good blur will be if you are only 2-3 meters from the model, and 10-15 meters to the background behind it.

Therefore, we formulate the third rule as follows - the closer the subject is to the camera and the farther the background is from it, the stronger the blur.

the toy was photographed at the same F, but at different focal lengths and different real distances from the camera to the subject

Of course, it is worth remembering that if, in order to obtain a large focal length, you have extended the zoom of the lens to the maximum, you will have to step back to compensate for the zooming in of the object. Otherwise, in the example above, not the whole teddy bear would get into the frame, but only his nose.

We try. DSLR simulator

Play around with depth of field and background blur using CameraSim's simulator.

1. Turn on the "tripod" checkbox
2. Set the mode to manual or aperture priority
3. Change combinations of parameters - distance, focal length, aperture
4. Click on "Take a photo!", since the effect of the aperture value on blurring the background of the photo can only be estimated by the result. You won't see it in the viewfinder.

Summing up

In order to get a blurry background in a photo, you need to get a shallow depth of field relative to the subject. And for this you should:

1. Maximum aperture opening
2. Zoom to maximum zoom or use a telephoto lens
3. Be as close to the subject as possible and move the background as far away from it as possible.

Try and experiment! Remember that blur depends from the aggregate the three options above.
You can get exactly the same result with different combinations of these three parameters.

If you don't have an expensive fast lens where you can set f/2.8 or less, try to compensate for this with two other parameters - shoot from a closer distance, at maximum zoom.

Often the perfect photo is one that doesn't detract from the main subject. Excellent focus can be achieved by increasing the aperture or using a special lens; however, there are a number of tricks with which an ordinary photograph can be turned into a work of art. All you need is Photoshop.

The article presents the simplest and most effective answers to the question of how to blur the background in Photoshop. CS6 is the English version of the program, in which all the above photo manipulations are performed.

Why do you need a blurred background?

A crisp, detailed background can ruin a great shot, as viewers' attention will be diverted to what's going on behind the scenes. A properly blurred background can instantly draw eyes to the main subject in focus. The ability to effectively muffle the background is especially important for sports or concert shots, where the crowd and props often "litter" the composition.

The use of special lenses and the maximum aperture, of course, will provide the best image quality, but sometimes the photographer still has to resort to the help of Photoshop in order not to lose a perspective frame, but on the contrary - to "squeeze" everything possible out of it.

How to blur the background in Photoshop?

"Photoshop" is a very friendly program with a rich selection of tools and actions. Working with the background can take from a few minutes to several hours, depending on how complex the background needs to be as a result.

With just one layer and one filter, it is possible to create a uniform background blur while still keeping the desired subject in focus. This easy and fast way clearly divides the picture into two planes - the first and second, without leaving any transitions.

In the case when a complex background is needed, that is, several backgrounds and focus elements, the work on the image will be long and painstaking. But for modern versions of the program, that is, CS6 and higher, there is practically nothing impossible.

Some simple background blur options

Fast and absolutely uniform background blurring can be achieved in a few steps. There are three very easy ways to make backgrounds blurry in Photoshop without having to go through multiple layers and bypassing masks altogether.

Such a blur, while simple and effective, is still far from ideal, as the space of the image loses some of its realism and depth. These methods are more suitable for amateur editing and will do an excellent job of blurring the background.

Iris Blur Filter

The first and easiest way is to use the Iris Blur filter. It simultaneously brings the selected subject into focus and blurs the rest of the picture. The advantage of this method is the speed and quality of the result; among the disadvantages, it is worth noting the shape of the focus, which can only be a circle or an ellipse.

The Iris Blur filter allows you to select just one element or part of the image into an elliptical focus, blurring and blurring the remaining background. The focus size and blur radius are very easy to change and control. It is also possible to adjust the smooth transition between clear and blurry areas of the photo.

Step-by-step instruction

The following steps detail how to blur the background in Photoshop CS6 using the Iris Blur filter:

1. You need to open the file in "Photoshop" and unlock the layer by double-clicking on its icon, in the pop-up window, click Ok.
2. Next, you need to select the desired filter in the main (top) menu of the Photoshop program, repeating the following steps: Filter -> Blur -> Iris Blur. The photo opens in a new menu that prompts you to select the focus point and blur radius using a sliding ellipse.
3. When adjusting the focus, you want the center of the ellipse, indicated by the circle, to be in the very center of the main subject of the photo. Once the focus is selected, you can adjust the size and even the shape of the ellipse by flipping or pulling its edges to the sides.
4. On the inside of the ellipse are four points that allow you to control the transition from focus to blur.
5. On the sidebar, under the inscription Iris Blur, there is a slider that controls the level of blur - the lower the value, the clearer the background.
6. Having configured all the parameters, you must click Ok, and the picture is ready.

Blur tool

The second way is to resort to the help of the Blur tool and "paint over" the background with it. Using the Blur tool is perhaps the easiest way to answer the question of how to blur a background in Photoshop. To work with it, you need only one layer, which can be the original photo.

The main advantages of this method are simplicity and speed, but do not underestimate the ability to control not only the radius, but also the blur areas. The disadvantages of the "Blur" tool are the roughness and some clumsiness of the final result.

Detailed description

Following a few steps below, you can very easily figure out how to blur the background in Photoshop conveniently and quickly, thereby improving the picture:

1. You need to load the selected photo into Photoshop and unlock the layer.
2. On the toolbar (on the left) you need to select Blur, it is indicated by a drop icon.
3. The settings panel, located at the top, under the main menu of the program, allows you to select the brush size and blur intensity (Strength).
4. After setting all the parameters of the tool, you need to draw a brush over the part of the background that you want to blur.
5. You can change the brush size and blur intensity as you get closer to the object of focus, you can also experiment with the Blur tool and blur the background unevenly.

Working with two layers

The third way is to create two layers, one of which will serve as a blurry background, and the other will become the focus object. The advantages of this method are ease of use and the ability to select several objects of focus in the photo. The negative aspects of using this method are unprofessional and "cheap" look of the end result.

However, for beginners, this is another simple method that will show you how to make a background blur in Photoshop almost as easy as with the Blur tool. To do this, open the photo in Photoshop and duplicate the main layer by right-clicking on it and selecting the Duplicate layer option. This will create two working layers. For ease of work, you can rename the top layer, calling it "background".

Detailed description

The following tutorial explains step by step how to blur a background in Photoshop using just two layers:

1. Select the top layer in the sidebar on the right.
2. Select the appropriate blur filter from the gallery: Filter -> Blur -> filter of your choice. For a quick and casual effect, Gaussian Blur is best. The result is a completely blurred photo.
3. In order to select the object of focus, you need to select the eraser (Eraser) on the toolbar and, by adjusting its size, erase the part of the top layer above the part of the photo that should be clearly focused.
4. By adjusting the size and transparency of the eraser, you can create a complex and differently blurred background.
5. In the end, you need to merge both layers into one, for this you need to select Layer in the main menu and then click on the Flatten image.

These methods are ideal for beginners who are just starting to get acquainted with Photoshop. They answer frequently asked questions about how to blur backgrounds in Photoshop quickly and beautifully. In addition to the above, there are many more ways to turn a simple photo into a deep and complex shot with multiple focus points and complex backgrounds.

There are a number of difficult ways that require a lot of time and skill, but at the same time they show how to blur the background in Photoshop without losing quality and adding artistry.

Almost every aspiring photographer wondered: “ how to take a photo with a blurry background? Photos with a blurred background always attract attention, you want to peer into them, they are very similar to a natural picture, as our eye sees it. Here are some secrets on how to take photos to get blurry.

Blurred background on can be done with any camera, only your creativity will be limited by the modes and aperture value, but still it is possible. If you have a “reflex camera” in your hands, then you can easily focus the camera on any object and make the background blurry.

Of course, a telephoto lens is the easiest. Everyone knows the photographs of birds, mostly they are all taken with a telephoto lens.

Settings

Most amateur cameras have a feature that allows you to blur the background. Usually referred to as A-DEP, it is used mainly by people who have recently started taking pictures or a photo taken with a flash. If you take artistic pictures, it is better to set up the camera yourself.

To begin with, it is desirable to set the aperture value to a minimum. To do this, it is recommended to shoot in aperture mode. This mode is designated differently on different devices, for example: Nikon stands for "A", Canon stands for "Av". By setting the desired aperture value in this mode, the shutter speed will be processed automatically. Many photographers like to work in aperture priority mode when shooting portraits and macro photography. Product photography and advertising photography, sometimes, also use the background blur effect, where advertising text or heading is subsequently placed.

macro photography

In macro mode, you can also easily make the background blurry, but in this mode, small objects are removed from a short distance. On all cameras, it is indicated by a "flower". By setting this mode, you just have to point the camera and press the shutter button, it will focus on its own. It is not intended for large objects and long distances, it will begin to blur the picture.

Portraits against a blurred background

With aperture priority mode, you can also make such a background by photographing a genre or a large object at a fairly large distance. In this mode, a clear image of a person or object will remain.

• For shooting, it is worth maintaining the maximum zoom, it is better to do this with an optical zoom, this will help maintain the quality of the shooting.
• You need to move away from the subject and take test shots to make sure the background is blurred enough.
• In order to avoid blurring the object in the image, it is better to shoot using a tripod.

Now you know how to take a photo with a blurred background. Practice, take more pictures and be sure to learn how to get exactly the pictures you want!