SPONSORED BY6
Try Field Blur
For more control over
the blur, it’s worth
experimenting with
Field Blur, found under Filter >
Blur > Field Blur. With this, you
can click on any area to add a
handle, then control how blurry
or sharp the area around the
handle is. Global Radius sets the
overall blur strength, then you
can reduce a handle’s Selected
Handle Level to reduce the blur
in different pockets of the scene.2
Add a Live
Filter layer
The Depth Of Field Blur
Filter lets us apply blur,
like using a shallow depth of field
when you shoot an image. We
could use Filter > Blur > Depth
Of Field Blur, but the better option
is usually to apply it via Layer >
New Live Filter Layer > Depth Of
Field Blur. This way, the blur effect
can be edited at any time simply
by double-clicking the Live Filter
thumbnail in the Layers Panel.1
Cut out, copy
and paste
We’re using the Depth
Of Field Blur Filter on
the background of our composite
image, so first we cut out the
penguin by painting over it with
the Selection Brush. (Tick Snap
To Edges in the tool options.)
Use the Refine Selection tool to
improve the edge by increasing
Radius. Output as a mask, then
copy, paste and position the
penguin into our snowy scene.4
Control the
blur area
In Tilt-Shift Mode, the
area between the two
central lines remains fully sharp,
while the outer lines control the
transition towards blur. Beyond
the outer lines will be fully blurred.
Hold Ctrl/Cmd while dragging
the points to adjust both sides at
once. Hold Shift to lock the angle
while dragging the control points.
We’ve moved half of the effect
outside of the image, as we only
need it to work in one direction.3
Tilt-Shift Mode
There are two modes
to choose from.
Elliptical creates a
circular effect with a sharp central
area that gradually falls off to
blur; it’s useful when you have a
central subject you’d like to draw
attention to. Tilt-Shift mimics the
look of a tilt-shift lens by creating
linear blur. This mode is better
suited to a scene like this, where
we want the foreground details
nearer the penguin to be sharper,
with stronger blur in the distance.5
Fine-tune
the blur
Once you’ve defined
an area, you can
fine-tune the strength of the
blur so that it fits perfectly with
the scene. Radius controls the
overall strength of the blur effect.
A higher value will fade out the
details to attractive blur. Vibrance
increases the colour intensity.
Clarity increases the midtone
contrast in the blur, which will
make the clearer details slightly
crisper and more defined.http://www.digitalcameraworld.com FEBRUARY 2022 DIGITAL CAMERA^71