Blur tool

On 1/18/2016 11:29 AM, Savageduck wrote:
On Jan 18, 2016, Savageduck wrote
(in news.com):

On Jan 18, 2016, philo wrote
(in article ):

Since I generally do a minimum amount of photo-editing this has not come
up before, but I now want to blur out a small portion of the background
in an otherwise great photo.

Using Photoshop, the blur tool does absolutely nothing.

What did I miss?


I asked my wife who has considerably more Photoshop knowledge than I do
and she said it's just for making small adjustments...but I want to
considerably blur-out a small area.


I know it can be done, so what did I miss?

To start with what edition of Photoshop are you working with?

What portion of the photo are you trying to blur, background, edges, other?
The blur tool is useful to soften edges.

From what you are saying it seems there is an area you want to blur
considerably, so that is where an adjustment layer and layer mask would work
best.

1: In the layers panel duplicate your background layer.
2: From the menu go to Filter-Blur and select an appropriate blur filter
type. I would suggest “Gaussian blur� with the radius set between 2-6.
3: Apply that filter to the adjustment layer. It will blur the entire image.
4: Return to the adjustment layers panel and while holding down the
alt/option key add a layer mask. This is done by clicking on the layer mask
icon at the bottom of the layers panel, to produce a layer mask filled with
black. The blurred photo will now appear unblurred.
5: Select a soft edged brush and with the black layer mask active, paint in
white over the area where you want the blur effect. To correct, switch back
to black and paint in the correction.
6: Now you are either finished or you can adjust opacity of that layer to
taste and finish.

...and that might read more complicated than it is. So here is a demo of what
I was saying, slightly exaggerated, but just to show how quickly and
effectively it can be done.
http://adobe.ly/1WnAdO0




Thank you

I will eventually get this

On 1/18/2016 12:37 PM, philo wrote:
On 1/18/2016 10:51 AM, Savageduck wrote:
On Jan 18, 2016, philo wrote
ment layer and layer mask would work
best.

1: In the layers panel duplicate your background layer.
2: From the menu go to Filter-Blur and select an appropriate blur filter
type. I would suggest “Gaussian blur� with the radius set between 2-6.
3: Apply that filter to the adjustment layer. It will blur the entire
image.
4: Return to the adjustment layers panel and while holding down the
alt/option key add a layer mask. This is done by clicking on the layer
mask
icon at the bottom of the layers panel, to produce a layer mask filled
with
black. The blurred photo will now appear unblurred.
5: Select a soft edged brush and with the black layer mask active,
paint in
white over the area where you want the blur effect. To correct, switch
back
to black and paint in the correction.
6: Now you are either finished or you can adjust opacity of that layer to
taste and finish.

\


I'm using CS-6 and the blur tool just does not have sufficient power to
be of use...

will simply have to cut out the portion I need to keep sharp, then blur
the background

thanks

Try the layer mask method Tony and I suggested. The duck's method is a
variant that will also work. I would be concerned that with cutting you
may not get the result you are looking for.
BTW you may need a large number of passes with the brush tool to get
what you want.

--
PeterN

On 01/18/2016 01:09 PM, Tony Cooper wrote:
On Mon, 18 Jan 2016 13:00:09 -0500, PeterN
wrote:

On 1/18/2016 12:37 PM, philo wrote:
On 1/18/2016 10:51 AM, Savageduck wrote:
On Jan 18, 2016, philo wrote
ment layer and layer mask would work
best.

1: In the layers panel duplicate your background layer.
2: From the menu go to Filter-Blur and select an appropriate blur filter
type. I would suggest “Gaussian blur” with the radius set between 2-6.
3: Apply that filter to the adjustment layer. It will blur the entire
image.
4: Return to the adjustment layers panel and while holding down the
alt/option key add a layer mask. This is done by clicking on the layer
mask
icon at the bottom of the layers panel, to produce a layer mask filled
with
black. The blurred photo will now appear unblurred.
5: Select a soft edged brush and with the black layer mask active,
paint in
white over the area where you want the blur effect. To correct, switch
back
to black and paint in the correction.
6: Now you are either finished or you can adjust opacity of that layer to
taste and finish.

\


I'm using CS-6 and the blur tool just does not have sufficient power to
be of use...

will simply have to cut out the portion I need to keep sharp, then blur
the background

thanks

Try the layer mask method Tony and I suggested. The duck's method is a
variant that will also work. I would be concerned that with cutting you
may not get the result you are looking for.
BTW you may need a large number of passes with the brush tool to get
what you want.

I have not suggested a layer mask. I've suggested making a selection
and blurring the selection.

If you blur a selection on a layer, or blur a layer and "cut a hole"
in a layer above it, you arrive at the same result. However, the
second method seems to me to require more time and effort.

Philo has said it's a small area that he wants to blur. Why this
would require a layer mask is beyond me. As my granny would say,
"It's the long way around the barn".

I took a photo I'd previously linked to he

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ksnq8cy89b...28-11.jpg?dl=0

and made a selection of the license plate and applied a 2.0 Gaussian
blur:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/26d5c0402o...8-11B.jpg?dl=0

A very minor procedure.

I made the selection a "Smart Filter", by the way. This allows me to
change the Gaussian setting without starting over.

This is my way, but not the only way and not necessarily what Philo
wants to do. It just seems the most simple way to me.



Without having to do a layer mask...the blur tool did not do the trick
however by going to

Filter...blur....field blur I can select the area I want blurry and it
works with a minimal of steps

On Jan 18, 2016, philo wrote
(in article ):

On 01/18/2016 01:09 PM, Tony Cooper wrote:
On Mon, 18 Jan 2016 13:00:09 -0500,
wrote:

On 1/18/2016 12:37 PM, philo wrote:
On 1/18/2016 10:51 AM, Savageduck wrote:
On Jan 18, 2016, philo wrote
ment layer and layer mask would work
best.

1: In the layers panel duplicate your background layer.
2: From the menu go to Filter-Blur and select an appropriate blur
filter
type. I would suggest “Gaussian blur� with the radius set between
2-6.
3: Apply that filter to the adjustment layer. It will blur the entire
image.
4: Return to the adjustment layers panel and while holding down the
alt/option key add a layer mask. This is done by clicking on the
layer
mask
icon at the bottom of the layers panel, to produce a layer mask
filled
with
black. The blurred photo will now appear unblurred.
5: Select a soft edged brush and with the black layer mask active,
paint in
white over the area where you want the blur effect. To correct,
switch
back
to black and paint in the correction.
6: Now you are either finished or you can adjust opacity of that
layer to
taste and finish.
\


I'm using CS-6 and the blur tool just does not have sufficient power to
be of use...

will simply have to cut out the portion I need to keep sharp, then blur
the background

thanks

Try the layer mask method Tony and I suggested. The duck's method is a
variant that will also work. I would be concerned that with cutting you
may not get the result you are looking for.
BTW you may need a large number of passes with the brush tool to get
what you want.

I have not suggested a layer mask. I've suggested making a selection
and blurring the selection.

If you blur a selection on a layer, or blur a layer and "cut a hole"
in a layer above it, you arrive at the same result. However, the
second method seems to me to require more time and effort.

Philo has said it's a small area that he wants to blur. Why this
would require a layer mask is beyond me. As my granny would say,
"It's the long way around the barn".

I took a photo I'd previously linked to he

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ksnq8cy89b...28-11.jpg?dl=0

and made a selection of the license plate and applied a 2.0 Gaussian
blur:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/26d5c0402o...8-11B.jpg?dl=0

A very minor procedure.

I made the selection a "Smart Filter", by the way. This allows me to
change the Gaussian setting without starting over.

This is my way, but not the only way and not necessarily what Philo
wants to do. It just seems the most simple way to me.


Without having to do a layer mask...the blur tool did not do the trick
however by going to

Filter...blur....field blur I can select the area I want blurry and it
works with a minimal of steps

Yup! There is more than one way to go about things. It is good to have a few
methods in your bag of tricks, as what works well for one image might not
produce good results with another.

With Field blur you might find that you have to use multiple control points
each with different levels of blur and in some areas have the setting at
zero, which masks that portion from blur.


--

Regards,
Savageduck

On 01/18/2016 04:30 PM, Savageduck wrote:
On J

I made the selection a "Smart Filter", by the way. This allows me to
change the Gaussian setting without starting over.

This is my way, but not the only way and not necessarily what Philo
wants to do. It just seems the most simple way to me.


Without having to do a layer mask...the blur tool did not do the trick
however by going to

Filter...blur....field blur I can select the area I want blurry and it
works with a minimal of steps

Yup! There is more than one way to go about things. It is good to have a few
methods in your bag of tricks, as what works well for one image might not
produce good results with another.

With Field blur you might find that you have to use multiple control points
each with different levels of blur and in some areas have the setting at
zero, which masks that portion from blur.





Yes, I just had to blur out a face in the background. If the person had
not had their mouth wide open I could have left it alone.

On 1/18/2016 5:19 PM, philo wrote:
On 01/18/2016 01:09 PM, Tony Cooper wrote:
On Mon, 18 Jan 2016 13:00:09 -0500, PeterN
wrote:

On 1/18/2016 12:37 PM, philo wrote:
On 1/18/2016 10:51 AM, Savageduck wrote:
On Jan 18, 2016, philo wrote
ment layer and layer mask would work
best.

1: In the layers panel duplicate your background layer.
2: From the menu go to Filter-Blur and select an appropriate blur
filter
type. I would suggest “Gaussian blur� with the radius set between 2-6.
3: Apply that filter to the adjustment layer. It will blur the entire
image.
4: Return to the adjustment layers panel and while holding down the
alt/option key add a layer mask. This is done by clicking on the layer
mask
icon at the bottom of the layers panel, to produce a layer mask filled
with
black. The blurred photo will now appear unblurred.
5: Select a soft edged brush and with the black layer mask active,
paint in
white over the area where you want the blur effect. To correct, switch
back
to black and paint in the correction.
6: Now you are either finished or you can adjust opacity of that
layer to
taste and finish.

\


I'm using CS-6 and the blur tool just does not have sufficient power to
be of use...

will simply have to cut out the portion I need to keep sharp, then blur
the background

thanks

Try the layer mask method Tony and I suggested. The duck's method is a
variant that will also work. I would be concerned that with cutting you
may not get the result you are looking for.
BTW you may need a large number of passes with the brush tool to get
what you want.

I have not suggested a layer mask. I've suggested making a selection
and blurring the selection.

If you blur a selection on a layer, or blur a layer and "cut a hole"
in a layer above it, you arrive at the same result. However, the
second method seems to me to require more time and effort.

Philo has said it's a small area that he wants to blur. Why this
would require a layer mask is beyond me. As my granny would say,
"It's the long way around the barn".

I took a photo I'd previously linked to he

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ksnq8cy89b...28-11.jpg?dl=0

and made a selection of the license plate and applied a 2.0 Gaussian
blur:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/26d5c0402o...8-11B.jpg?dl=0

A very minor procedure.

I made the selection a "Smart Filter", by the way. This allows me to
change the Gaussian setting without starting over.

This is my way, but not the only way and not necessarily what Philo
wants to do. It just seems the most simple way to me.



Without having to do a layer mask...the blur tool did not do the trick
however by going to

Filter...blur....field blur I can select the area I want blurry and it
works with a minimal of steps




Good to hear you got the result you wanted. With PS their are many was
to get a wanted result

--
PeterN

On 1/18/2016 5:41 PM, philo wrote:

snip


Yes, I just had to blur out a face in the background. If the person had
not had their mouth wide open I could have left it alone.


A lot of problems would be avoided if people kept their mouth shut. VBG

--
PeterN

On 01/18/2016 05:05 PM, PeterN wrote:
On 1/18/2016 5:41 PM, philo wrote:

snip


Yes, I just had to blur out a face in the background. If the person had
not had their mouth wide open I could have left it alone.


A lot of problems would be avoided if people kept their mouth shut. VBG



Of course, had I been paying attention I could have waited...

On 01/18/2016 05:02 PM, PeterN wrote:
On 1/18/2016 5:19 PM, philo wrote:
On 01/18/2016 01:09 PM, Tony Cooper wrote:
On Mon, 18 Jan 2016 13:00:09 -0500, PeterN
wrote:

On 1/18/2016 12:37 PM, philo wrote:
On 1/18/2016 10:51 AM, Savageduck wrote:
On Jan 18, 2016, philo wrote
ment layer and layer mask would work
best.

1: In the layers panel duplicate your background layer.
2: From the menu go to Filter-Blur and select an appropriate blur
filter
type. I would suggest “Gaussian blur� with the radius set between
2-6.
3: Apply that filter to the adjustment layer. It will blur the entire
image.
4: Return to the adjustment layers panel and while holding down the
alt/option key add a layer mask. This is done by clicking on the
layer
mask
icon at the bottom of the layers panel, to produce a layer mask
filled
with
black. The blurred photo will now appear unblurred.
5: Select a soft edged brush and with the black layer mask active,
paint in
white over the area where you want the blur effect. To correct,
switch
back
to black and paint in the correction.
6: Now you are either finished or you can adjust opacity of that
layer to
taste and finish.

\


I'm using CS-6 and the blur tool just does not have sufficient
power to
be of use...

will simply have to cut out the portion I need to keep sharp, then
blur
the background

thanks

Try the layer mask method Tony and I suggested. The duck's method is a
variant that will also work. I would be concerned that with cutting you
may not get the result you are looking for.
BTW you may need a large number of passes with the brush tool to get
what you want.

I have not suggested a layer mask. I've suggested making a selection
and blurring the selection.

If you blur a selection on a layer, or blur a layer and "cut a hole"
in a layer above it, you arrive at the same result. However, the
second method seems to me to require more time and effort.

Philo has said it's a small area that he wants to blur. Why this
would require a layer mask is beyond me. As my granny would say,
"It's the long way around the barn".

I took a photo I'd previously linked to he

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ksnq8cy89b...28-11.jpg?dl=0

and made a selection of the license plate and applied a 2.0 Gaussian
blur:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/26d5c0402o...8-11B.jpg?dl=0

A very minor procedure.

I made the selection a "Smart Filter", by the way. This allows me to
change the Gaussian setting without starting over.

This is my way, but not the only way and not necessarily what Philo
wants to do. It just seems the most simple way to me.



Without having to do a layer mask...the blur tool did not do the trick
however by going to

Filter...blur....field blur I can select the area I want blurry and it
works with a minimal of steps




Good to hear you got the result you wanted. With PS their are many was
to get a wanted result




Took me long enough but now I'll know