How to make the background blurry in Photoshop. How to blur the background in Photoshop beautifully

One of the most popular questions among beginning photographers is how to get a blurred background in a photo. This is understandable, since a blurred background makes the photo more interesting view, emphasizing the subject. A photo with a blurred background immediately looks much more professional and artistic.

Let's start with the fact that in photography, there is a term for a blurred background, Bokeh (emphasis on the last syllable). Despite the fact that the word sounds in the French manner, its roots lie in Japanese. True, the term Bokeh usually refers not just to blur, but to the artistic component of blur. For example - “This lens gives beautiful bokeh, and that one is very simple.”

There is an opinion that to obtain a blurred background, or bokeh, you definitely need a high-quality expensive lens with a large aperture or a very good camera.

There are two misconceptions here. Firstly, the camera itself plays virtually no role, since the background blur is created by the lens optics, and they can be quite good even on an “advanced point-and-shoot camera.” Secondly, indeed, with a good fast lens it is easier to blur the background and the bokeh will be more beautiful, but this can only be achieved if other conditions are met, which will be discussed below.

The blur itself can be obtained on a simple kit lens and even on a soap dish, if you follow 3 basic rules, which will be discussed below.

Rule 1: Open aperture and shallow depth of field

You may already be familiar with the concept of depth of field. If not, then DOF is the Depth of Sharply Imaged Space. Most often it is simply called “depth of field.” Let's say you focused on a certain object. This is the focal point. Everything that is sharp in the frame before the object and behind it is the depth of the sharply depicted space. Moreover, the sharpness gradually decreases from the focusing point. Providing that same blur.

DOF itself is the key point in obtaining a blurred background in the picture. For blur, we need to get a small depth of field.

Depth of field depends on several parameters, one of which is the aperture value. The aperture is those blades inside the lens that can be closed or open, changing the size of the hole through which light passes through the lens.

The aperture value is characterized by the F number. The smaller the F, the more open the aperture is. The larger the F, the tighter the diaphragm is clamped.

The smaller the hole is open (large F), the greater the depth of field relative to the subject. The wider the aperture is open, the smaller the depth of field.

Dependence of depth of field on aperture and distance

Look at the illustration above. The focusing point is at a distance of 6.1 meters. The lower the F value, the fewer objects will fall into the sharpness zone. At f/1.8, only what is half a meter from the subject and a meter behind it will fall into the sharpness zone; everything else will be blurred. At f/16, objects at a distance of even 6 meters behind the focusing point will be quite sharp.

Thus, the first rule for obtaining a blurred background in a photograph is that the lower the F value (and, accordingly, the larger the aperture is open), the more blurred the objects in the background are. As you can understand, in the foreground, if there is one, we will also get blur.

Left - F22, right f2.8 with other parameters unchanged

Rule 2. Focal length

Focal length is one of the characteristics of the lens and the second factor that affects the depth of field and background blur. We will not go into a technical explanation of what focal length is now. At the everyday level, we can say that focal length is how much your lens “brings closer” to the object. The standard range of focal lengths of “whale” lenses for DSLRs is 18-55mm. That is, at 18mm, our lens covers large space, and at 55mm we “bring closer” the object.

One scene at different focal lengths

Due to the characteristics of optical designs, the depth of field depends on the focal length. At the same F value - at a long focal length, the depth of field will be shallower. That is, the closer the lens is, the shallower the depth of field will be. That's what we need.

Hence the second rule. If you want to blur the background, use long lenses or zoom your lens as close as possible.

When changing the focal length and keeping F constant, we get different blur

Rule 3. Real distance

The third factor that affects the depth of field is the distance to the subject and the background. The closer the object is in reality to the lens, the smaller the depth of field.

To blur the background, you need the distance from your camera to the subject to be many times smaller than the distance to the background. Let's say you're doing a portrait. There will be good blur if you are only 2-3 meters from the model, and 10-15 meters from the background behind her.

Therefore, let’s formulate the third rule as follows: the closer the subject is to the camera and the further the background is from it, the stronger the blur.

the toy was photographed at the same F, but at different focal lengths and different real distances from the camera to the subject

Of course, it is worth remembering that if, to obtain a long focal length, you have extended the lens zoom to maximum, you will have to step back to compensate for the zoom approach of the subject. Otherwise, in the example above, not the entire bear cub would have been included in the frame, but only its nose.

Let's try. DSLR Simulator

Play around with depth of field and background blur using camera simulator software from CameraSim.

  1. Turn on the “Tripod” checkbox
  2. Set the mode to manual or aperture priority
  3. Change combinations of parameters - distance, focal length, aperture
  4. Click on “Take a photo!”, since the influence of the aperture value on blurring the background of the photo can only be assessed by the result. You won't notice it in the viewfinder.

Let's sum it up

In order to get a blurred background in a photo, you need to get a shallow depth of field relative to the subject. And for this you should:

  1. Open aperture to maximum
  2. Zoom in as close as possible or use a long lens
  3. Be as close to the subject as possible and move the background as far away from it as possible.

Try and experiment! Remember that blur depends from the totality three of the above parameters.
You can get exactly the same result with different combinations of these three parameters.

If you don't have an expensive fast lens that can be set to f/2.8 or less, try to compensate for this with two other parameters - shoot at a closer distance, at maximum zoom.

Unfortunately, ordinary compacts and smartphones most often do not know how to create beautiful bokeh. This is explained by the fact that such devices have a smaller matrix built in. What should owners of budget cameras do? We can recommend that they use Photoshop, where making a blurred background is not difficult. All you need is appropriate practice, which you will now receive.
How to blur the background in Photoshop?

First, you need to clarify that not every photo is suitable for blurring the background. It is best to choose a photo in which the person’s legs are not visible, as are nearby objects. In our case, the person is standing against the background of the forest; this frame is ideal for processing. If there was also a bush or tree in the foreground of the photograph, then great difficulties would arise.

Right away you must remember that desired effect achieved using the Gaussian Blur function. If you apply it to any photo, you will get the impression that the photographer forgot to focus his camera. But we need to understand how to blur the background in Photoshop, not the entire image. Therefore, you should initially select the object that remains in the sharpness zone. There are several ways to do this. The easiest one is to use the Magnetic Lasso tool. If you already know how to use it (in one of the previous lessons we talked in detail about its work) - this is very good. If you don’t have enough skills, you’ll have to work hard. But in this lesson we will only briefly touch on this method. First of all, it’s worth talking about how you can get a blurred background using a mask. This is difficult for a beginner, but the result is impressive. It may take you 15-20 minutes to process one photo.
Blurred background in Photoshop CS5

First you need to create a copy of the existing layer. This is done in the Layers panel. Just open this palette and press Ctrl+J. You can also drag the “Background” layer onto the “Create New Layer” button. This will also cause a copy of it to appear.


The new layer needs to be blurred. As mentioned above, the Gaussian Blur filter is used for this. It is located along the path “Filter-Blur-Gaussian Blur”. The filter is adjusted by dragging the slider, which affects the blur radius. Focus on the background at this moment. It should be blurred as if you were taking the photo with a DSLR camera at a wide aperture. Do not overdo it, otherwise the picture will not look realistic. If the changes in the photo are not displayed, then check the box next to the “View” item. This is how a blurred background is created in Photoshop CS5 later versions.


When you are satisfied with the degree of blur, click the “OK” button. Now you need to apply a layer mask to this layer. To do this, follow the path “Layers - Layer Mask - Show All”. You will not notice any external changes after clicking on this item. But in the Layers panel you will see a white rectangle.


And now the hardest part begins. Masks in Photoshop allow you to remove the effect of an applied filter from specified areas. Therefore, you need to tell the program that the person in the photo should remain sharp. To do this you will have to paint it completely black. This is difficult, so zoom in to 100%.

Select black color and then go to the Brush tool. Set the hardness to 20%. The diameter depends on the resolution of your photo and the size of the person. When the diameter suits you, start drawing in black on the subject.


Make a blurry background in Photoshop

Gradually you need to make the entire figure of a person sharp. It's okay if you go slightly beyond its edges. At any time you can press the Latin key X. This will change the color from black to white. Now all that remains is to brush over those places that accidentally became sharp. The filter action will be applied to them immediately.


Paint white along the outline of the person. You must ensure that even a piece of the background is not sharp. For accuracy, you can reduce the brush size and increase the image scale to 200-300%.

Most of the work is ready: we have already succeeded in making a blurred background in Photoshop. But there is now a kind of halo around a person with its blurred outline. You need to get rid of him. To do this, use the Stamp tool.

Merge both layers into one. To do this, follow the path “Layers - Flatten”. The background layer needs to be unlocked. To do this, double-click on it in the Layers panel and give it a name. Next, use the Stamp tool. Set the pressure to 10%. All that remains is to remove all existing artifacts. You should already know how to work with this tool. If this is not the case, then Photoshop will explain everything to you. In short, this tool copies one area of ​​the image to another location. The area to be copied is selected by pressing the Alt key and the left mouse button. Then click next to the outline of the person so that a stamp appears on it in the form of a copied circle. Don't forget to adjust the diameter of the brush, otherwise you risk getting too much on the person's figure or taking too long.

The end result is a pretty good image. Some may have the impression that it was obtained using a good lens and a DSLR camera. But in fact, all you have to do is look closely and some artifacts will become noticeable. Only very painstaking photo processing, which sometimes takes an hour, will help you get rid of them. This is why experienced photographers use high-quality, fast optics. It's better to spend a decent amount, but then save a large number of time.


How to blur the background in Photoshop CS6?

As for the second method of blurring the background in Photoshop, it is very similar to the first. A copy of the background layer is also created, and the unlocked background layer is blurred using the above method. Then you should go to the top layer and select the person with any in a convenient way. The most commonly used tool for this is the Magnetic Lasso tool. Then all that remains is to invert the selection and enjoy the result. This is also how you can blur the background in Photoshop CS6 and later versions of the graphics editor.

This concludes our lesson. Today you've learned another useful skill that you can then apply to almost any portrait shot. Now you know how to blur the background in Photoshop, which should only make your photos better.

Unfortunately, ordinary compacts and smartphones most often do not know how to create beautiful bokeh. This is explained by the fact that such devices have a smaller matrix built in. What should owners of budget cameras do? We can recommend that they use Photoshop, where making a blurred background is not difficult. All you need is appropriate practice, which you will now receive.

How to blur the background in Photoshop?

First, you need to clarify that not every photo is suitable for blurring the background. It is best to choose a photo in which the person’s legs are not visible, as are nearby objects. In our case, the person is standing against the background of the forest; this frame is ideal for processing. If there was also a bush or tree in the foreground of the photograph, then great difficulties would arise.

You should immediately remember that the desired effect is achieved using the Gaussian Blur function. If you apply it to any photo, you will get the impression that the photographer forgot to focus his camera. But we need to understand how to blur the background in Photoshop, not the entire image. Therefore, you should initially select the object that remains in the sharpness zone. There are several ways to do this. The easiest one is to use the Magnetic Lasso tool. If you already know how to use it (in one of the previous lessons we talked in detail about its work) - this is very good. If you don’t have enough skills, you’ll have to work hard. But in this lesson we will only briefly touch on this method. First of all, it’s worth talking about how you can get a blurred background using a mask. This is difficult for a beginner, but the result is impressive. It may take you 15-20 minutes to process one photo.

Blurred background in Photoshop CS5

First you need to create a copy of the existing layer. This is done in the Layers panel. Just open this palette and press Ctrl+J. You can also drag the “Background” layer onto the “Create New Layer” button. This will also cause a copy of it to appear.

The new layer needs to be blurred. As mentioned above, the Gaussian Blur filter is used for this. It is located along the path “Filter-Blur-Gaussian Blur”. The filter is adjusted by dragging the slider, which affects the blur radius. Focus on the background at this moment. It should be blurred as if you were taking the photo with a DSLR camera at a wide aperture. Do not overdo it, otherwise the picture will not look realistic. If the changes in the photo are not displayed, then check the box next to the “View” item. This is how a blurred background is created in Photoshop CS5 later versions.


When you are satisfied with the degree of blur, click the “OK” button. Now you need to apply a layer mask to this layer. To do this, follow the path “Layers - Layer Mask - Show All”. You will not notice any external changes after clicking on this item. But in the Layers panel you will see a white rectangle.

And now the hardest part begins. Masks in Photoshop allow you to remove the effect of an applied filter from specified areas. Therefore, you need to tell the program that the person in the photo should remain sharp. To do this you will have to paint it completely black. This is difficult, so zoom in to 100%.

Select black color and then go to the Brush tool. Set the hardness to 20%. The diameter depends on the resolution of your photo and the size of the person. When the diameter suits you, start painting in black over the subject.

Make a blurry background in Photoshop

Gradually you need to make the entire figure of a person sharp. It's okay if you go slightly beyond its edges. At any time you can press the Latin key X. This will change the color from black to white. Now all that remains is to brush over those places that accidentally became sharp. The filter action will be applied to them immediately.


Paint white along the outline of the person. You must ensure that even a piece of the background is not sharp. For accuracy, you can reduce the brush size and increase the image scale to 200-300%.

Most of the work is ready: we have already succeeded in making a blurred background in Photoshop. But there is now a kind of halo around a person with its blurred outline. You need to get rid of him. To do this, use the Stamp tool.

Merge both layers into one. To do this, follow the path “Layers - Flatten”. The background layer needs to be unlocked. To do this, double-click on it in the Layers panel and give it a name. Next, use the Stamp tool. Set the pressure to 10%. All that remains is to remove all existing artifacts. You should already know how to use this tool. If this is not the case, then Photoshop will explain everything to you. In short, this tool copies one area of ​​the image to another location. The area to be copied is selected by pressing the Alt key and the left mouse button. Then click next to the outline of the person so that a stamp appears on it in the form of a copied circle. Don't forget to adjust the diameter of the brush, otherwise you risk getting too much on the person's figure or taking too long.

The end result is a pretty good image. Some may have the impression that it was obtained using a good lens and a DSLR camera. But in fact, all you have to do is look closely and some artifacts will become noticeable. Only very painstaking photo processing, which sometimes takes an hour, will help you get rid of them. This is why experienced photographers use high-quality, fast optics. It is better to spend a decent amount, but then save a lot of time.

How to blur the background in Photoshop CS6?

As for the second method of blurring the background in Photoshop, it is very similar to the first. A copy of the background layer is also created, and the unlocked background layer is blurred using the above method. Then you should go to the top layer and select the person in any way convenient. The most commonly used tool for this is the Magnetic Lasso tool. Then all that remains is to invert the selection and enjoy the result. This is also how you can blur the background in Photoshop CS6 and later versions of the graphics editor.

This concludes our lesson. Today you've learned another useful skill that you can then apply to almost any portrait shot. Now you know how to blur the background in Photoshop, which should only make your photos better.

I don’t want to read detailed instructions, but I want to blur the background quickly

To properly blur the background (as if your camera lens did it), select the objects that are in the foreground, i.e. which do not need to be washed out. To do this, it is convenient to use the tool Quick selection (Quick Selection). You can leave small areas along the edge are unselected, we will work with this problem later. Now using the tool Refine Edge(or simply Feather in older versions of the program) set the edge blur within 1-1.5 pixels.

Then select the menu item Select (Selection) - Inverse (Invert selection). Or press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Shift-I. The selection now covers the entire background except the main subject.

After that, copy the selected area to a new layer ( Ctrl-J). Make sure the new background layer is active. Now apply a filter to it Gaussian blur: Filters - Blur - Gaussian Blur.

In the window that appears, enter a blur radius value in the range of 2-15 pixels, depending on the size and quality of the image, as well as the desired result. The background should be softly blurred, but retain the outlines of objects.

Now let’s deal with the areas that turned out to be “blurred” along the edges of the main object. For example, this often happens with hair, complex edges of clothes, etc. Everything is fixed very simply. Choosing a tool Eraser(Rubber, Eraser Tool), select a brush template with soft edges, select the appropriate size. Set the opacity ( Opacity) on 50% . Now we begin to carefully erase that part of the blurred layer that falls on main object. This way, you return sharpness to the desired area of ​​the image, leaving the background to smoothly fade into blur. Don't overdo it - try not to go beyond the boundaries of the main object.

The question of how to get a beautifully blurred background is one that my students constantly ask. There is a big misconception among novice photographers who believe that to get this effect you need to buy a very expensive fast lens. While it's true that a wider aperture will give you shallower depth of field, there are also two other factors that many people haven't heard of or don't consider. of great importance. In this article, I'll tell you three factors that affect background blur, and how to achieve this effect with the lenses you already own.

Three main factors:

  1. Diaphragm
  2. Lens focal length
  3. Distance between object and background

So to demonstrate how this works, I created some examples while photographing a friend's daughter. The first series was taken at a distance of about 2 meters from front door Houses. Focal lengths for all examples: 16 mm, 35 mm, 70 mm, 150 mm. While I deliberately do not write what aperture I used, I will only say that it is the same in all eight images.

***Note: Please note that I used a full frame cameraCanonEOS 5DMarkIII. If you are using a full-frame camera (for example, with a crop factor of 1.5), then the equivalent focal lengths for you would be approximately 11 mm, 24 mm, 50 mm, 100 mm.


The second series of photographs was taken 20 meters from the house. Every time I changed the lens, I moved further away from the girl in order to save her relative size in frame.


Notice how much softer the background has become in the second series, especially when using a longer focal length. Do you see the addiction? Remember that all eight photos were taken at the same aperture. The only thing I changed in the first case was the focal length of the lens. In the second set I changed the distance to the background, making it much larger.

What about the diaphragm?

As already mentioned, at first I didn’t specifically write what aperture I used. Would you be surprised if I told you that all the photos were taken at f/5.6? But that's how it is! All images were taken at f/5.6. Isn't aperture the first thing you think of when someone talks about blurry backgrounds? Do you also have a kit lens with an f/5.6 aperture? If so, do you think that you will never get a well-blurred background without purchasing a fast lens that costs hundreds or thousands of dollars? Think again and read on!

Another comparison with f/2.8 aperture

Just to prove my point, here are two more shots shot at f/2.8. Likewise, the first episode was filmed near the house, and the second one further away. Notice how the effect of focal length and distance from the background on blur is greater than the effect of aperture. There's actually not that much difference between these images and the first ones, shot at f/5.6.



What conclusions can be drawn

Using a wide aperture in creating photos with a blurred background is not the only factor and, in my opinion, not the most important. If I'm doing a portrait, I look for a place where I can place people on good distance away from the background and using a lens with a focal length of 85mm or longer. There is also a happy medium in using long focal length lenses for portraiture. Too large a focal length can lead to the fact that you have to stand very far away to take pictures and simply shout so that the person you are shooting can hear you. For this reason, a 300mm lens is too long for portraits. However, with lenses like these you can take some very nice photographs of wild animals with beautifully blurred backgrounds, knowing what you know now.

Now look at the image at the beginning of the article. It was also shot at f/5.6! I bet you didn't even know about it! I won’t talk about this for a long time, but rather I’ll give you a few more photographs taken in the same place so that you can draw your own conclusions.




Practice and read more

I don't ask you to take my word for it. Go outside and do this exercise yourself. Find your subject and start a short distance from the background, moving from short to long focal lengths, trying different apertures. Then move a few meters further from the background and repeat. Look and analyze the resulting photographs. Think about how you can use this new information to enhance your photos. Read articles about depth of field and lens selection.