Hey there, fellow photographers and Photoshop enthusiasts! Jamal here. As a professional retoucher and long-time Photoshop user, I know firsthand how powerful and important background blurring can be. A creamy, defocused background is often the difference between a snapshot and a striking, professional-looking image.
In fact, blurring or defocusing the background is one of the most frequent edits I make in my own photography. It helps simplify a busy scene, draw attention to the subject, and create that beautiful shallow depth of field look we associate with pro images.
Consider these stats:
- 42% of professional photographers say they use Photoshop daily (Fstoppers)
- 75% of images published in top fashion magazines are digitally retouched (Webbmedia Group)
- Shallow depth of field is one of the top 5 most popular photography trends according to 500px
So whether you‘re a professional photographer looking to speed up your workflow or a beginner wanting to elevate your images, learning how to blur backgrounds in Photoshop is an essential skill. Luckily, Photoshop offers a variety of powerful tools and techniques for beautiful background blurring.
In this ultimate guide, I‘ll walk you through the 3 best methods for blurring backgrounds, from quick and easy to total control. We‘ll look at:
- The Blur Tool
- Gaussian Blur & Layer Masks
- Lens Blur Filter
- Creative Blur Effects
- FAQ & Troubleshooting
- Resources & Further Learning
But first, let‘s cover a few key concepts and best practices…
Background Blur Basics
Before we dive into the how-to, it‘s important to understand a bit about why blurred backgrounds look the way they do.
When you take a photo with a large aperture (small f-number) on a DSLR or mirrorless camera, you get a shallow depth of field. This means only a thin plane of your image is in sharp focus, while the foreground and background become increasingly blurred. The amount of background blur depends on:
- Aperture (larger aperture = more blur)
- Focal length (longer lens = more blur)
- Subject distance (subject further from background = more blur)
This defocused background look is often called "bokeh", from the Japanese word for blur. Good bokeh is smooth, creamy, and pleasantly soft without being distracting.
The goal of background blurring in Photoshop is to simulate this shallow depth of field effect convincingly. We want to keep our subject tack-sharp while gently blurring out any distracting background elements.
However, nailing that natural, lens-like blur can be trickier than it looks! Here are my top tips for background blurring in Photoshop:
Tips for Better Blurring
- Work non-destructively by duplicating your background layer before blurring
- Make a careful selection of your subject first to keep them sharp
- Use Lens Blur or Field Blur instead of Gaussian for more realistic results
- Apply your blur as a Smart Filter for maximum flexibility
- Fine tune the blur by painting on a layer mask with black/white brushes
- Check edges at 100% zoom and clean up with the Eraser as needed
- Match the blur strength to your subject (less for wider shots, more for close-ups)
- Balance sharpness and blurriness to keep it natural (don‘t overdo it!)
With those tips in mind, let‘s look at the first method: using the Blur Tool.
Method 1: The Quick & Easy Blur Tool
When you just need to quickly soften the background, the Blur Tool is the way to go. It lives with the Sharpen Tool in the toolbar (shortcut: R). Simply click and drag on your image to manually blur as you go.
The Blur tool is best for organic subjects like foliage, fabrics, and hair. Here‘s how to use it:
- Duplicate your layer (Ctrl/Cmd+J) to blur non-destructively
- Select the Blur tool and in the options bar set:
- Mode: Normal
- Strength: 50%
- Brush size: large enough to cover background areas
- Hardness: 0% for a soft edge
- Click and drag repeatedly over background areas to build up blur
- Avoid the subject and edges unless you want them soft
- To fix mistakes, use the Sharpen tool (Shift+R) or Eraser (E)
[Insert GIF of using Blur tool on example image]
The Blur tool gives you the control to brush blur exactly where you want it. You can even use a textured brush tip for a more organic effect.
However, it can be hard to get an even blur this way. It‘s easy to overdo it or create splotchy results. For a more gradual, realistic blur, try Gaussian Blur paired with a layer mask.
Method 2: Gaussian Blur + Layer Masks
For better control and smoother results, we can apply a Gaussian Blur filter to the whole image and then mask out the subject. This creates a nice even blur that fades out gradually. Here‘s the step-by-step:
- Duplicate your background layer (Ctrl/Cmd+J)
- Select your subject using any selection method (I like Select > Subject)
- Click the Add Layer Mask icon in the Layers panel to put subject on its own mask
- Select the regular layer again and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur
- Adjust the radius until you get a pleasing blur (preview it at 100%)
- Click OK to apply the blur to the whole layer
- The subject will look blurry too, so click the layer mask and press Cmd/Ctrl+I to invert it (hiding the blur on the subject)
- Paint with a white brush on the mask to blur any missed edges, hairs, etc.
[Insert before/after screenshot of Gaussian Blur masking]
This method gives you a separate layer for the blurred background, which makes it easy to tweak. You can adjust the opacity to fade the effect, or paint with black/white brushes on the mask for precise control.
Pro tip: Convert your layer into a Smart Object before blurring (right-click > Convert to Smart Object). This will apply the blur as a Smart Filter that you can go back and adjust anytime without losing quality!
While Gaussian Blur looks good in most cases, for a truly realistic depth of field effect, try the Lens Blur filter instead.
Method 3: Realistic Lens Blur
For the closest thing to real lens blur, skip Gaussian and head to Filter > Blur Gallery > Lens Blur. This advanced blur mimics the curved aperture blades in a real lens, producing beautiful bokeh.
[Screenshot of Lens Blur UI]
The key features in Lens Blur are:
- Radius: Controls overall blur strength. Higher radius = more blur.
- Shape: Changes the bokeh shape from round to hexagonal to mimic different lenses.
- Blade Curvature: Adjusts roundness of the bokeh. Negative values create a swirly soap bubble look.
- Specular Highlights: Boosts bright points of light for more dramatic bokeh.
- Focal Distance: Shifts the focal point forward or back. Useful when the mask isn‘t perfect.
To use Lens Blur effectively, put your subject on a layer mask following steps 1-3 in the previous method. Then:
- Convert your layer to a Smart Object
- Go to Filter > Blur Gallery > Lens Blur
- Adjust Radius, Shape, and Blade Curvature to taste (zoom in to preview)
- Use Specular Highlights to punch up any bright spots
- Shift Focal Distance if needed to keep subject sharp
- Press OK to apply as a Smart Filter
- Fine-tune the mask with a soft black brush to bring back subtle background detail
[Before/After of Lens Blur]
Lens Blur takes a bit more tweaking than Gaussian Blur, but gives you the most realistic results. It also opens up possibilities for creative background blur effects…
Creative Background Blur Effects
Why limit yourself to basic blurs? Photoshop‘s Blur Gallery has several other blur filters that can add creative flair to your backgrounds:
- Field Blur: Simulates a tilt-shift effect with gradual blurring. Great for miniaturizing scenes.
- Iris Blur: Adds a radial blur that‘s sharp in the center and blurred around the edges. Perfect for highlighting products.
- Tilt-Shift: Like a combo of Field and Iris blur with control over blur shape. Produces the popular miniature look.
- Path Blur: Blurs along paths for a sense of motion. Fun for sports and action shots.
[4-up screenshot of each blur effect]
To apply any of these, follow the same steps as for Lens Blur. The Blur Gallery interface lets you drag pins to control where the blur is applied. You can even save custom blur shapes!
Another fun way to get creative is with the Camera Raw filter. With your Smart Object layer selected, go to Filter > Camera Raw. In the FX tab, play with the Grain and Vignette sliders to add a vintage film look to your background.
[Screenshot of Camera Raw Grain & Vignette]
Don‘t be afraid to mix and match these effects. You can always adjust the opacity or masking if it looks too strong. The beauty of working with Smart Filters is you can go back and change them at any point!
FAQ & Troubleshooting
Still have questions about blurring backgrounds in Photoshop? Here are some common ones I get:
Q: How much blur should I add?
A: It depends on the photo, but in general, err on the side of subtlety. Too much blur looks fake. Match the blur strength to the subject distance and lens focal length for realism.
Q: My blur edges look jagged. Help!
A: Zoom in to at least 100% when making your selections and masking. Use the Refine Edge brush to capture detailed edges. You can also apply a small Gaussian Blur to the layer mask itself to soften the transitions.
Q: I blurred my subject by mistake. How do I fix it?
A: If you converted your layer to a Smart Object, simply double-click the filter name and adjust the sliders. If not, press Ctrl/Cmd+Z to undo, or use the Eraser tool set to 50% opacity to brush away the blur gradually.
Q: The background looks muddy after blurring. What do I do?
A: Try using the Camera Raw filter to add Clarity and Dehaze back to the blurred areas. You can also duplicate the blurred layer, apply a High Pass filter, and change the blend mode to Overlay for extra sharpness.
Assessing Blur Quality
As you practice these techniques, don‘t forget to zoom out and examine the overall effect. A good background blur should be:
- Smooth and even
- Strongest in the background, gradually fading towards the subject
- Undistracting and doesn‘t pull focus from the subject
- Realistic compared to the original photo
Remember, sometimes the key to a successful blur is knowing when to stop! Subtlety is often more convincing than a heavy-handed effect.
[Example of good vs. bad blur]
Resources & Further Learning
I‘ve really just scratched the surface of what‘s possible with background blurring in Photoshop. If you want to dive deeper, here are some of my favorite resources:
- Adobe‘s official guide to blurring and sharpening
- PiXimperfect‘s YouTube tutorial on Lens Blur
- My own video on 5 creative background blur techniques
- Nathan Elson‘s in-depth look at bokeh
I‘m also curious to hear about your background blurring workflow! Do you prefer the quick Blur tool method or the control of Lens Blur? Have any tips for getting perfect selections and masks? Leave me a comment below.
Happy blurring!
Jamal