How to blur the background in Photoshop

Background blurring tricks can make the image look much more professional or just focus on the elements of the image you want to attract attention. Whatever the reason, learning how to blur the background in Photoshop is a great way to make your photo stand out from the crowd.

Note : The following tutorial focuses on Adobe Photoshop CC version 20.0.4. But the methods will also work with older versions of Photoshop, in the same way.

What tool to use to blur the background?

Background blur is the most interesting part of the process, but you need the right tools. Here are a few different ways you can do that.

Magic Wand

Magic Wand (fourth from the top in the Tools menu) is the fastest and easiest tool to select the background, although it also has certain disadvantages. Magic Wand works best on images with a clear background, much in contrast to the foreground part. After selecting Magic Wand, click on the background of the image to select it. You can hold down the Shift key to continue selecting additional elements as needed.

If you do not see the Tools menu , select Window> Tools in the top menu.

Lasso

If the background in your image is too complicated for Magic Wand, the Lasso tool will give you more control.

Standard lasso allows you to freely draw your selection. Polygonal Lasso allows you to draw straight lines. Magnetic Lasso will try to cling to the edges of a part of the image, in this case the background. Click and hold the Lasso tool (third from the top in the Tools menu) to select the tool you want to use.

Be sure to draw around whatever you want to choose. You can always "close" the selection by pressing Ctrl or CMD , then clicking or clicking anywhere on the image.

Quick Mask

A more realistic method to select the background is to use the second tool from the bottom of the Tools bar and look like the gray EU flag.

1. Select the Quick Mask tool .

2. Select the Brush tool from the Tools menu , then use the brush strokes carefully to paint over everything you want to select. The elements you choose will turn red.

3. When done, select the Quick Mask icon again to see your complete selection.

Tip : You can also use the Erase tool to fine-tune the selection.

Whichever method you use, once you have selected the background, be careful not to click or click anywhere in the main window, as you can invalidate the selection. If you do so, press Ctrl (or CMD ) + Z to undo your action or press Ctrl (or CMD ) + Alt + Z to undo some steps.

Tip : If you find that you have actually chosen the foreground instead of the background, simply press Ctrl (or CMD ) + Shift + I to reverse the selection.

How to blur in Photoshop

Now you have selected the background. You can start the process of blurring it. There are a few different ways you can do to achieve different effects. Try the aforementioned tools and see the results.

Gaussian Blur

Gaussian Blur is the most basic option in all blur effects, but is often the most effective. Gaussian Blur merges and overlaps all pixels together to create a general blur effect.

1. Select Gaussian Blur, then use the slider to decide how much blur you want for the background.

2. You can use the preview window to view part of your image or select the Preview box to see how it looks on the entire image.

3. When you are satisfied with the result, select OK and wait for the effect to apply.

Motion Blur

This effect gives the impression of movement, as if the background is moving at high speed or the photographer is moving through it very quickly.

1. Select Motion Blur.

2. Use Distance Modifier to change the level of blur effect you desire.

You can also change the angle of the motion by entering a number in the corresponding box or clicking and dragging a small rectangle.

Lens Blur

To subtly blur, closer to what is achieved by using a shallow depth of field technique when taking a photo, use Lens Blur. It has a multitude of options for testing, including:

1. Radius: Affects the strength of the blur effect.
2. Shape and Blade Curvature: Adjusting the virtual lens will shape the blur effect.
3. Specular highlights: Used to increase the brightness of some parts of the image to mimic the exposure effect longer than when the original image was taken.

Test the settings until you find the effect you like, then select OK.

Radial Blur

For a unique look, try applying Radial Blur. Radial Blur does not bring a natural look to the image, but actually makes your foreground object appear as if they have just stepped through a certain gate.

Hope you are succesful.