ugaldew's blog
Create Depth of Field in PS
posted by ugaldew, May 19, 2006 2:35 AM — 25 commentsHI SXCers : In today’s tutorial we will learn a very cool trick to create an exceptionally convincing Depth of Field effect . Trick initially posted in the Photoshop users magazine but we will add a little trick of the NAPP an do it in the SXC way !! So lets check this out ! Visual steps / 5 minute edition / Photoshop CS min
Note : The minimum software version is Photoshop CS , I’m using CS2
This is the effect we want to achieve at the end of this practice
Photo Summer Smiles by Chrissi
Download this practice’s PSD File (0.5MB)
I will use for this exercise the Photo Pupil and Books by Radzio
So lets get started !
_____________________________________________________________
>> Step 1
(Add a new channel )
Open your desired image in Photoshop (CS or CS2) , Then go to your layer palette and click channels (in the top)
At the bottom of this channel palette there is an icon named “create new channel” it is a square icon with the shape of a folded sheet , Click it
The Alpha 1 layer will be added and your image will turn into black cause the RRB channel is not selected anymore , So select visualize the RGB
_____________________________________________________________
>> Step 2
(Create a gradient )
Now we have our image under this red layer , the red means the area of the new “ alpha 1 layer “ and it also means the area the will not be affected by the blur lens effect . So next we need to add a gradient to erase part of the alpha channel and to get our blur area
So activate your gradient tool in the tool panel and your make a gradient
The gradient start point has be over 20 % inside your focused desired object , and the end pont is edge of your pic.
it should look like this
_____________________________________________________________
>> Step 3
(Add Lens Blur Filter to the Background Layer )
A)
First you have to turn off he visibility of the “alpha 1 layer “ and select the RGB channel , then go to your layers palette , and select the Background Layer
B)
Next open the Lens Blur Filter panel ( Filter / Blur / Lens Bur )
In this panel selct "alpha 1" in the source box ,this is the name of the layer we have just created , if you named the layer differently it will appear as you named it
Now play with the radius scale to add the desired lens blur to your image .
-If you want to invert the blur click the invert box
Note : if you see a black and white gradient instead of your image , it is because you , didn’t select the background layer or because you didn’t deselect the channel layer we created . In case this happened , click cancel and repeat step 3
we've finished click okay and that was all !!!
Important Tip : If your desired focal point is in the centre of your image. you will have a hard time adding two the gradients (step2) , so in order to have these 2 gradients . 1) Selct new channel’s layer (alpha 1 ) then change it to mode screen blend( in the mode box at the top of Photoshop ) and VUALA !!! you will be able to add a second gradient
I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial , This definitively will add a very convincing depth of field effect to your pics !
For any doubt or problem with this tutorial feel free to write to : ugaldew@yahoo.com I will answer asap
Miguel Ugalde (Ugaldew)
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1. posted by Slantsixx, May 19, 2006 6:21 AMI think I know whose getting the iPod!
Dang. Did I say that out loud? :)
2. posted by rrss, May 21, 2006 11:18 PM
Great tutorial.
Don't know how I ever missed the 'Lens Blur' filiter, I always use Gausian.
thanks
3. posted by poetul, May 23, 2006 12:19 PM
I won`t comment alot about this tut... Just a few that know how to do it share it with the rest and you are one of them :) I will rate this as the best, because it just is. Cheers ;)
4. posted by Ballez, May 24, 2006 8:10 PM
Nice! very nice!
5. posted by magstefan, Jun 2, 2006 11:18 PM
Hey! Very useful. You can even work with sphearical fillings to receive a great spot off one sharp point!!
Great!
6. posted by alx_drakko, Jul 21, 2006 10:39 AM
Yep, you're good dude!
7. posted by VijayDave, Aug 24, 2006 5:39 AM
This is really very good. I would like to show my examples, exactly blurred as like a lence with different focusing and appartures blurrs the forground and background. See the example on my site : http://www.PixelToPixel.com at the following link :
http://www.pixeltopixel.com/ToPutSelectiveItemInFo- cus.html
8. posted by silent_2_h, Sep 17, 2006 11:06 AM
very useful :)... thnx..!!!
9. posted by Morigaine, Oct 10, 2006 2:31 PM
Thank you very much for posting this.. I am taking digital photography and have wanted to know how to add it to already taken photos.. This tutorial is really helpful.
10. posted by jwmedia, Oct 16, 2006 7:56 PM
OKAY I am not getting it. After you create an Alpha Channel, your instructions say - "So select visualize the RGB".
Where exactly do you select visualize the RGB? Perhaps my PC version of CS2 doesn't have this option?
11. posted by jwmedia, Oct 16, 2006 8:14 PM
OKAY I get ot now. Thanks for this groovy process. I used to try the same thing but laboriously cutting out the "focused" section, then pasting it on top of the blur. What a hassle and very messy.
12. posted by numa, Oct 24, 2006 9:06 PM
i will use it....voy a usar para mi clase de fotografia y es mas facil hacerlo en la compu que con la reflex...
13. posted by stv5, Dec 20, 2006 7:03 PM
To simulate lense blur you 1st have to know what depth of field is and how it is introduced in a photo.making a mask for using in lense blur filter is not that easy as just drawing a gradient,it takes a lot of work,depending on the picture.
This is definately NOT a convincing Depth of Field effect.Its obviously a randomly blured image and a bad technique.You could just duplicate the layer,blur it and mask it with the same gradient to have the same effect in no time.
14. posted by morleys, Aug 7, 2007 2:51 PM
Where do I find the visualize the RGB? Sorry haven't got past step one yet!!
15. posted by dirtypaper, Jan 31, 2008 12:00 AM
Great turotial, but instead of using the LENS BLUR i would use the GAUSIAN BLUR. Although the lens blur should be more natural the gausian one seems better, but thats a matter of taste i think.
16. posted by pixella5, Aug 1, 2008 7:00 AM
usefull tut.
thank you
17. posted by tengcheer, Oct 15, 2008 11:40 AM
thanx so much! i no longer i hav to worry tat i'm not a good photographer!
18. posted by curchods, Mar 9, 2009 3:49 PM
Duplicate layer, gausian blur, add layer mask, black out the area in focus. Ten seconds to create the same result?
19. posted by sohbet, Jun 20, 2009 3:30 PM
Great turotial, but instead of using the LENS BLUR i would use the GAUSIAN BLUR. Although the lens blur should be more natural the gausian one seems better, but thats a matter of taste i think.
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http://www.aysohbet.com/
20. posted by perikueto, Jul 20, 2009 8:18 PM
This tutorial rocks. Thank you so much.
21. posted by perikueto, Jul 20, 2009 8:19 PM
i will use it....voy a usar para mi clase de fotografia y es mas facil hacerlo en la compu que con la reflex...
Jajajajaja. Qué mal. Con la cámara es sencillísimo, sólo practícalo.
22. posted by youem, Sep 30, 2009 4:36 AM
thank u
23. posted by escan, Aug 20, 2010 2:42 PM
Thanks!!!
24. posted by dianazuru, Aug 6, 2012 1:45 PM
Very simple, thanks!
25. posted by disenoweb9, Feb 22, 2013 7:49 AM
Beautiful!
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