The basics

ADVANCED PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 5.0 FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
Diffusion printing >> To control the
style and position of the effect
change the blending mode of the
blurred layer and use the eraser to
remove blurred areas to reveal the
sharp original beneath. (a) Darken
blending mode. (b) Lighten blending
mode. (c) Normal blending mode.
Creating this style of picture using digital processes offers the image-maker a lot more choice
and control over the end results. The technique is based around the Gaussian Blur fi lter, which
can be used to soften the sharp details of your photograph. A simple application of the fi lter to
a base image produces a less than attractive result and one that doesn’t combine the sharp and
blurred imagery. Instead more control is possible if the fi lter is applied to a copy of the picture
stored as a layer above the original image. This blurred layer is then combined with the original
by either reducing the opacity of the blurred layer to allow the sharp original to show through,
or by changing the blurred layer to a different blending mode such as Darken or Lighten.
Extending the technique
Blending mode or opacity changes provide control over the overall effect of the diffusion, but to
fi ne-tune the results select the blur layer and use the Eraser tool, set to a low opacity, to gently
remove parts of the top layer to reveal the sharpness beneath.
Book resources at: www.adv-elements.com
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