Blurring image

[cjgsmg]

How do you get your picture to blur into the background using PS Elements?

[loofah]

I am not sure on this one but I know someone will come in soon with the answer :)

[KellyHR317]

hmm...not sure about blurring "into" the background...i know how to blur the background by selecting what you want NOT blurred...with magnetic lasso and then hitting Inverse (Ctrl+shift+I... I THINK!) then hit Guassian Blur and choose how much you want it blurred. HTH!

[c hurd]

Or if you are looking for a vignette edge effect, or you want your photo to blend in with the background layer below it -- I have a short tutorial here: http://morethanmolly.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=54

[kanga]

Are you thinking of feathering? Extracting an object from the rest of a LO but leaving the edges fading out? If so, when selecting the lassoo tool, there is a small box at the top of the screen with "feather" - the larger the pixel size you chose, the larger the area of "blending out". Then select the are you want, do inverse selection and delete - voila a blur-into-the-background object!

[kanga]

Ooo -forgot to mention that in PSE you *need* to enter the size of feather you want BEFORE you select what you are extractiing (whichever extraction tool you are using) - it took me ages to work out why feathering wasn't working when I selected what I wanted and then entered a value into teh feather box.

[TenSGal]

You can also make a copy of your photo (on another layer). Use Gaussian blur to blur one of the pictures and then use the eraser tool to erase away the blurred part of the image you want to be sharp.
For example...suppose it was a portrait of a person and you wanted to increase depth of field. Make your copy. Blur the copy. Stay on that layer and click on the eraser tool and then erase the blurred face, hair, etc. The sharp image will show through. When you're done and satisfied with your results you can merge your layers.
Here is a layout where I blurred the background of flowers in a vase.
http://www.gottapixel.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/8754/cat/500/ppuser/3826
Hope that helps! I love that effect...can make hohum photography look special, I think.

[c hurd]

The above post is great only it's easier if you use a layer mask instead of the eraser tool -- then you just use a black paintbrush to reveal the underneath layer, and a white paintbrush to paint back in the top layer in case you make mistakes. It's much more flexible, because you can go back and forth -- with the eraser tool there's only the undo command. To make a layer mask in elements:


Highlight the bottom layer and click Alt and the adjustment layer icon (at the top of the layers palette. (Or go to the Layer menu and choose New Adjustment Layer). Choose Levels. In the dialog box, leave the "Group with Previous Layer" box EMPTY. (important) Then in the next dialog box, click OK--WITHOUT making any changes.

Now you should have a background layer, an adjustment layer, and another layer on top. Click on the top layer. Then click Control G. This groups the top layer with the Adjustment layer. A little down arrow should have appeared to the left of your layer thumbnail.

Now go back to your adjustment layer. See the little white box to the right of your thumbnail? Click on that to make sure it's active. Then use a BLACK paintbrush to paint over the parts of your photo that you want to change back to the original layer below. You can adjust the opacity of the brush, or change the color of the paint to anything from white to grey to black, for various effects. Black restores the original, and White restores the duplicate layer.

You can use a layer mask this way to make a variety of changes to your photo. I use this a lot when switching heads, etc., and also when creating the black & white with some color effect.

Hope this helps...

[clangham]

I think I would have to go with the eraser tool on the duplicate copy. To me, its very fast and easy. Not as many steps, but as I've learned in Photoshop, there are several different ways to get the same effect....