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Topaz Denoise AI - It works
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<blockquote data-quote="BackdoorArts" data-source="post: 729487" data-attributes="member: 9240"><p>The key to adding blur is first understanding how it works as each is different (motion, Gaussian, lens), and then to know how to avoid applying it to the areas you don't want it. For that you need really good masking. When I have time I'll put something detailed together, but in the meantime this is the process...</p><p></p><p>1. Select the subject that you do not want blurred. Using <strong>Select -> Subject</strong> in Photoshop does a pretty good job of this, at least as a starting point. Generally I'll need to use the <strong>Select And Mask</strong> tool to get the edges as close to perfect as I can. Once I'm done I will save the selection as a new channel so I can easily go back to it (<strong>Select -> Save Selection</strong>). </p><p></p><p>2. Clear the selection and flatten your image into a new layer at the top of the layer stack. This is the layer you will apply the blur to. </p><p></p><p>3. Now hold Cmd/Ctrl down and click on the saved selection in the Channels panel to reselect your subject. Now if you use this to create the mask there will be a harsh transition from subject to background, so first I go to <strong>Select -> Modify -> Expand...</strong> and depending on how much you've cropped in add 5 to 15 pixels to the selection (you don't want to see a significant change in the size...</p><p></p><p>Before:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]333959[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>After:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]333960[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p></p><p>4. Now I want to soften the transition so I go to <strong>Select -> Modify -> Feather...</strong> and put in a value equal to about 2/3 of what I used for <strong>Expand</strong>. You won't see any change in the marching ants, but it happened.</p><p></p><p>5. Invert the selection using <strong>Select -> Inverse</strong> because you want to apply the blur to the areas not selected. Once you've done this click on the Add Layer Mask button to create the mask for the layer. You want to do this before applying blur as the mask will preserve the details from the layer underneath. If you do not use a mask and instead just create a new layer from the selection then the blur you apply next will smear into your subject.</p><p></p><p>6. Now go to <strong>Filter -> Blur</strong> and apply the type and level of blur you want. As you do this you'll see it applied to the entire image, but when you get out it'll be fine. I used to use Gaussian blur a lot but have gone to Lens blur more recently as it seems to produce a more convincing straight out of camera OOF area.</p><p></p><p>7. Now I inspect and modify the mask. Often times there will be an area not selected as the subject that's in the same focal plane, so I take a soft edged black brush and paint in 50% black in those areas, sometimes repeating until it looks convincing. If there's a large swath of space I'll sometimes do another pass at 25% beyond that to transition the OOF areas. The idea is to make it convincing looking. Then I'll that a small soft edged brush and paint black over areas on the very edge of the subject that may need it because of fur/feathers.</p><p></p><p>I think it allows for some convincing softening of even difficult subjects without looking Photoshopped...</p><p></p><p>Before:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]333961[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>After:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]333962[/ATTACH]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="BackdoorArts, post: 729487, member: 9240"] The key to adding blur is first understanding how it works as each is different (motion, Gaussian, lens), and then to know how to avoid applying it to the areas you don't want it. For that you need really good masking. When I have time I'll put something detailed together, but in the meantime this is the process... 1. Select the subject that you do not want blurred. Using [B]Select -> Subject[/B] in Photoshop does a pretty good job of this, at least as a starting point. Generally I'll need to use the [B]Select And Mask[/B] tool to get the edges as close to perfect as I can. Once I'm done I will save the selection as a new channel so I can easily go back to it ([B]Select -> Save Selection[/B]). 2. Clear the selection and flatten your image into a new layer at the top of the layer stack. This is the layer you will apply the blur to. 3. Now hold Cmd/Ctrl down and click on the saved selection in the Channels panel to reselect your subject. Now if you use this to create the mask there will be a harsh transition from subject to background, so first I go to [B]Select -> Modify -> Expand...[/B] and depending on how much you've cropped in add 5 to 15 pixels to the selection (you don't want to see a significant change in the size... Before: [ATTACH type="full" width="60%"]333959._xfImport[/ATTACH] After: [ATTACH type="full" width="60%"]333960._xfImport[/ATTACH] 4. Now I want to soften the transition so I go to [B]Select -> Modify -> Feather...[/B] and put in a value equal to about 2/3 of what I used for [B]Expand[/B]. You won't see any change in the marching ants, but it happened. 5. Invert the selection using [B]Select -> Inverse[/B] because you want to apply the blur to the areas not selected. Once you've done this click on the Add Layer Mask button to create the mask for the layer. You want to do this before applying blur as the mask will preserve the details from the layer underneath. If you do not use a mask and instead just create a new layer from the selection then the blur you apply next will smear into your subject. 6. Now go to [B]Filter -> Blur[/B] and apply the type and level of blur you want. As you do this you'll see it applied to the entire image, but when you get out it'll be fine. I used to use Gaussian blur a lot but have gone to Lens blur more recently as it seems to produce a more convincing straight out of camera OOF area. 7. Now I inspect and modify the mask. Often times there will be an area not selected as the subject that's in the same focal plane, so I take a soft edged black brush and paint in 50% black in those areas, sometimes repeating until it looks convincing. If there's a large swath of space I'll sometimes do another pass at 25% beyond that to transition the OOF areas. The idea is to make it convincing looking. Then I'll that a small soft edged brush and paint black over areas on the very edge of the subject that may need it because of fur/feathers. I think it allows for some convincing softening of even difficult subjects without looking Photoshopped... Before: [ATTACH type="full" width="60%"]333961._xfImport[/ATTACH] After: [ATTACH type="full" width="60%"]333962._xfImport[/ATTACH] [/QUOTE]
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