your average everyday sane psycho super goddess

Want to focus a subject with a diffused background? I called it MACRONIZING! You can actually do it on your digicams by setting the camera on Macro (the flower icon that can be seen on the display screen or can be one of the buttons on your camera). Depending on the specs on your digicam, the focus may vary. This is very useful on small objects as if you’re magnifying or ‘macronizing’ a certain object.

But if you want a large object to be your focus, and if you don’t have high-tech-high-specs camera, Photoshop can do the trick. All we need to do is just diffuse the background to emphasize your subject to be your main focus. This will create a dreamy effect. Here’s how to:

We will diffuse the background three times. First background is diffused by 1.5 pixel, 2nd background is 2.0 pixel, and 3rd background is 2.5 pixel. This will create depth which will make it more realistic compared to diffusing the whole background in one blow.

1. Duplicate the picture. This will automatically set it as Layer 1.

2. Go to History tab.

3. Click the drop down icon at the top right corner and select New Snapshot.

4. Click on Filter then select Blur then select Gaussian Blur.

5. Set the pixel size to 1.5.

6. Select History Brush on the Tools Palette.

7. Brush the part of the main picture which you want to stand out (or unblurring it). The part that you brushed will revert to the picture that you have captured on your snapshot. Leaving all the background blurred.

8. Take another snapshot after you finished unblurring the main part. This would now be snapshot 2.

9. Select Gaussian Blur and set the pixel size to 2.0.

10. Select History Brush on the Tools Palette. Brush again the main picture and the 1st background.

11. Take again another snapshot, this would now be snapshot 3.

12. Select again Gaussian Blur and set the pixel size to 2.5 this time. This effect would be for the 3rd background.

13. Select History Brush on the Tools Palette. Brush the main picture, the 1st background, and the 2nd background.

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Macronized Version

Original Photo

That’s it. Basically, the process only uses 3 keys: take a snapshot, use gaussian blur, and then use history brush. Easy, eh?