How to blur the background in Photoshop? How to create a layer in Photoshop CS5 from the background

Hello to all those who visited my blog. The weather is so cool today. It finally feels like spring. And with such a spring mood, I would like to tell you about one thing. Nowadays, many people already have cameras with which we can take beautiful portrait photographs with a clear display of the main characters and blurred backgrounds.

But still, not every camera has such a function (mostly only SLR cameras), and most people use smartphones, which also cannot shoot with blurred background, but I really want to beautiful photo. Am I right? As usual, there is a way out, and today I will tell you how to make a blurred background in Photoshop. It's not difficult at all.

The easiest way to do this is to use the familiar one. But first, let's open the image in Photoshop where we want to blur the background. I chose a photo of a girl on Red Square.

Do it carefully. If you suddenly touched too much, then always. But don't do everything in one click. It’s better to release the mouse periodically so that in case of an error you don’t have to go back to the beginning.

Well, that seems to be all. It looks beautiful. But let's look at a couple of other ways to broaden your horizons.

Eraser

In principle, everything here is the same as in the previous example, but with a small exception.

Many people prefer to use a layer mask in these cases, although in such cases I do without it. But just in case, I’ll show you anyway. It won't take much time.

Layer mask

That seems to be all. no matter which method you choose, the result will be the same: Our friend is depicted with normal clarity, but the background is blurred. That is, it immediately becomes more beautiful and effective. see for yourself. By the way, which method did you like best? Write, otherwise I’m interested.

No, Photoshop is still a wonderful tool for working with images. I am still amazed at how powerful, convenient and interesting editor. And at least knowing the basics will always be useful in everyday life.

By the way, if you want to as soon as possible learn Adobe Photoshop, then be sure to check it out this wonderful video course. All lessons are built in order, no unnecessary water, everything is on the shelves. And the main thing is that everything is shown with live examples and told in human language. It will be understandable to any level of user.

Well, this is where I end today’s lesson. I really hope that you found it interesting and useful. Therefore, I recommend that you subscribe to blog updates to keep abreast of everything interesting. Well, I’ll say goodbye to you for today, I’ll see you in other articles. Bye bye!

Best regards, Dmitry Kostin

Instructions

Install on your computer Adobe program Photoshop and launch it. Open the image you want to work with using the Ctrl+O hotkeys.

Enable quick mask mode by clicking on the mask image at the bottom of the toolbar. Mask the area that will be sharp in the photo to separate it from the background plan. This will protect it from the blur filters that will be applied to the rest of the image. Paint in Quick Mask mode with the Brush tool. It is better to choose a brush with semi-hard edges, it will be more convenient to work with. First, paint over the main area with a medium-diameter tool, then use a thin brush to work on the details. The masked area will be colored contrasting color.Erase the accidentally painted area with the “Eraser” tool (hotkey “E”). The diameter of the eraser can also be adjusted to make erasing more accurate.

When the object is masked, press the Q key to return to normal mode. The mask will disappear and the area to be blurred will be selected. The object that was covered with the mask will not be available for modification.

Apply the “Gaussian Blur” filter to the image - in the “Filter” menu, click on “Blur/Gaussian Blur” or Filter/Blur/Gaussian Blur. This will cause the background to be blurry. The optimal blur radius, set in the dialog box, is from 1-4. It is best to determine this radius by trial. Click OK. If the photo is wide, don't set it too large radius, otherwise you risk creating an unnatural effect.

When the filter is finished, deselect it using the hotkey Ctrl+D. The background will be blurry, but the objects in the foreground will be sharp and clear. Save the image under a different name because the blur will not be removed.

In order to do something in Photoshop, you must have a selected layer, which, in fact, will take over all your actions. It is called Active layer, and is indicated by a contrasting color, for example blue (depending on the version of Photoshop and the selected color scheme, this color may vary).

To select a layer and make it active, just click on it.

If you need not to have a single selected layer on the palette, then hold down the key Ctrl, click on the currently active layer.

How to select two or more layers

In Photoshop, it is often necessary to perform actions on two or more layers simultaneously, for example, to move them, merge them, apply settings, delete them, and the like. Therefore, in order not to repeat same actions for each layer, you can select all the necessary ones at once. There are several ways to do this.

Method 1 Consecutive layers

Consistent layers are those that are next to each other. To select them, you need to make the first one active, and then, while holding down Shift key, you need to click on the last one. All layers that were between them will also be selected.

Method 2 Non-sequential layers

In situations where the layers are not next to each other, but, for example, one after another, or one at the beginning, the other at the end of the palette, then in such cases you need to select the layers with the Ctrl key— clicking on each required layer in turn.

Method 3 All layers

Menu command Selection - All Layers will select absolutely all of them on the palette. Hotkey For quick use functions: Alt+Ctrl+A .

Note

Opposite team Selection - Deselect Layers will discard the created selection.

Method 4 Similar layers

In I mentioned that layers are divided into types: ordinary, text, adjustment, smart objects, and so on. If you use the menu command Selection - Similar Layers(Similar Layers), then Photoshop will select all layers of the same type as the active one. For example, if you were active text layer, then Photoshop will select all text ones.

Method 3 Linked Layers

Related layers, in addition to all other features, are also placed in a separate command, so that with a couple of clicks you can find and select them all. Team Layers - Select related layers(Select Linked Layers).

Moving layers around the palette

I return to the basic principle of the layers palette: they are located in the document top down, that is, the one at the top of the list overlaps the one below it, and so on.

Based on this cascading rule, there is a completely reasonable desire to change the sequence of layers. Well, Photoshop gives you this opportunity. And in order to move a layer in the palette, to change, so to speak, the hierarchy, there are several ways.

Method 1 Using Drag and Drop

Clamping left button mouse on the layer, without releasing the key, drag the layers to any place. Photoshop, using its interface, will tell you that you are doing everything correctly and where this layer will ultimately be placed (the dividing strip has darkened).

Method 2 Command Arrange

Select one or more layers and then go to the menu Layers - Arrange(Arrange). A selection window will appear showing exactly how you want to do this. The following options are available:

bring to Front(Bring to front) - moves to the first place in the list.
Move forward(Bring Forward) - moves one step higher.
Move back(Send Backward) - moves one step lower.
To the background(Send to Back) - move to last place on the list.
Inversion(Reverse) - active for selecting two or more layers; the command reverses their order.

If you notice an error in the text, select it and press Ctrl + Enter. Thank you!

Often the ideal photograph is one that does not distract attention 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 listed photo manipulations are performed.

Why do you need a blurred background?

A clear, rich background can ruin a great photo by distracting viewers from 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 dim the background is especially important for sports or concert photographs, where the crowd and props often “clog” the composition.

The use of special lenses and the maximum aperture will, of course, ensure best quality image, 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 anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on how complex the resulting background needs to be.

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

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

Several simple background blur options

A quick and completely uniform background blur can be achieved in just a few steps. There are three very simple ways to do the background blurred in Photoshop, without resorting to many layers and completely bypassing the work with masks.

Such blur, although simple and effective, is still far from ideal, since the space of the photo loses some of its realism and depth. Listed methods They are more suitable for amateur editing and will do an excellent job of blurring the background.

Iris Blur Filter

The first and most easy way- use the Iris Blur filter. It simultaneously brings the selected subject into focus and blurs the rest of the photo. 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 elliptical focus, washing out and blurring the remaining background. The focus size and blur radius are very easy to change and control. It is also possible to configure smooth transition between clear and blurry areas of a photograph.

Step-by-step instruction

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

You need to open the file in Photoshop and unlock the layer by double-clicking on its icon and clicking Ok in the pop-up window.
Next, you need to select the required filter in the main (top) menu of the Photoshop program, repeating next steps: Filter -> Blur -> Iris Blur. The photo opens in a new menu that offers you to select the focus point and blur radius using a moving ellipse.
When setting focus, you need to ensure that the center of the ellipse, indicated by a circle, is 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.
WITH inside The ellipse contains four points that allow you to adjust the transition from focus to blur.
On the side panel, under the Iris Blur label, there is a slider that controls the level of blur - the lower the value, the sharper the background.
Having configured all the parameters, you need to click Ok, and the photo is ready.

Blur tool

The second way is to use the Blur tool and “paint over” the background with it. Using the Blur tool is perhaps the most in a simple way answer to the question of how to blur the background in Photoshop. To work with it you only need 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

By 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:

You need to load the selected photo into Photoshop and unlock the layer.
On toolbars(on the left) you need to select Blur, it is indicated by a drop icon.
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).
Having configured all the parameters of the tool, you need to drag the brush over the part of the background that needs to be blurred.
You can change the brush size and blur intensity as you get closer to the object in focus, and 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 the blurred background, and the other will become the focus object. The advantages of this method are ease of use and the ability to highlight several focal objects in a photograph. The negative aspects of using this method are unprofessionalism and the “cheap” appearance of the final result.

However, for beginners, this is another simple method that will tell you how to blur the background in Photoshop almost as easily as with the Blur tool. To do this you need to open the photo in Photoshop program and duplicate the main layer by clicking on it right key and selecting the Duplicate layer option. This will create two working layers. To make it easier to work with, you can rename the top layer, calling it “background”.

Detailed description

The following instructions explain step by step how to blur the background in Photoshop using just two layers:

Select the top layer in the side panel on the right.
Select a suitable blur filter from the gallery: Filter -> Blur -> filter of your choice. For a quick and effortless effect, it is better to use Gaussian Blur. The result will be a completely blurry photo.
In order to select the object of focus, you need to select the eraser (Eraser) in 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.
By adjusting the size and transparency of the eraser, you can create a complex and differently blurred background.
At the end, you need to combine both layers into one; to do this, select Layer in the main menu and then click on Flatten image.

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

There are a number complicated ways, which 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.