Fast DOF fixes in Photoshop ...

[r_fredrick_smith]

Part 1. The Problem and an Example of a Solution

For one reason or another we often end up with a basket of photos where the DOF is not what we would like it to be. If we had it to shoot over and circumstances permitted we would have preferred to get the DOF right in the camera (which is almost always the best choice). But for those times when you have photos you really like but they have DOF problems, I offer this fast fix technique. Here is a before and after example:

The technique I use takes only about 30 seconds and requires no masking and does a reasonable job of simulating DOF. Note in the example that the further you get away from the lady in red, the more out of focus everything becomes. So that gives you a clue of how it must have been done.

In part 2, I'll discuss my method for the above. It is quite simple and some of you might already know it, or be able to easily deduce it. I have a several step (with screen shots tutorial) that I'm putting together, which I'll append to this thread later.

Meanwhile, any comments are welcome. If you don't like the effect, let me know and if you like it let me low. If you have no opinion, then don't let me know.

Cheers,
rfs

[RSStory]

The first thing I notice is that the lady in red is also not as sharp as in the first image. Other then that I will wait to see the technique used to do this before I make other comments.

Scott

[r_fredrick_smith]

Originally Posted by RSStory

The first thing I notice is that the lady in red is also not as sharp as in the first image. Other then that I will wait to see the technique used to do this before I make other comments.

Scott

Normally she would be, but I didn't do the extra small cleanup at the end that needed to be done (black brush). I get in a hurry sometimes. When I publish the tutorial I'll discuss that final cleanup step and show a better "after" photo. Thanks for noting the slip up.
Cheers,
rfs

[r_fredrick_smith]

Part 2. How to do the Fast DOF fix in Photoshop.
1.Start with the photo in question.
2.Make a duplicate layer. Here is what we see at this point

3. Choose the Lens Blur Filter as see here

4. Then choose the amount of blur you want. In other words pick the blur that looks best for the part of the photo that you want most out of focus.
Here is what we see on our return from using the filter:

Very ugly!

5. Now add a layer mask as shown:

6. Now everything looks the way it did before we used the lens blur filter.

7. Choose the Gradient tool as shown and choose black to white gradient as shown in this screen shot.

8. Starting at the left middle of the photo drag the tool all the away across the middle to the other side and release the mouse button. You will now see this:

So what just happened. Well you added a blur layer, and then you put a layer mask over it. That made it appear to do nothing. Now if you paint on a layer mask with a white brush it shows the full effect of whatever filter you've applied to that layer. If you paint with black it shows nothing and thus you see the background layer. Well if you use a shade of gray, then you see a partial revealling of what is there. Since we used a black to white gradient then where it is blacker, we see less of an effect of the blur and where it is whiter we see a greater effect of the blur.

9. Now since we have also passed over the subject when we drew our gradient across the photo, we need to make sure that the mask has solid black whereever the subject (girl in red) is in the photo. So now we take a black brush and we paint over the girl in this case which makes sure the mask over her is black and shows her from the background layer. Here is a screen shot of what the mask looks like now:

Notice the solid black areas in the mask where I've painted over the girl to make her in sharp focus. I had skipped that step in my original before and after.

Well that's it. It takes about 30 seconds to do all this once you've done it a few times and it is easy and works pretty well. Naturally its still easier to do it in the camera and you'll get better results in most cases.

Cheers,
rfs

[RSStory]

hmmmm... I guess I never thought of doing it like that. Nice and thanks for posting this. I can think of more then a few shots that this would have saved me some time on.

Scott

[Electricseashell]

Thanks for posting this I'm going to try it on the sculpture posts that you suggested it on. I'll post the results when I get them done. It might be a couple days as I am going out of town this afternoon, I have a sick grandchild. You give some great advice and tutorials. Electricseashell