The basics

178 ADVANCED PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 5.0 FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
DARKROOM TECHNIQUES ON
THE DESKTOP
This simulates lens-based depth of fi eld by surrounding the point of focus with the area of least
blur and then gradually increasing the out of focus effect as the eye moves further from this part
of the picture.
Start the process by creating a selection of the subject area that you want to remain sharp.
Inverse (Select > Inverse) the selection so that the rest of the picture is selected. Feather (Select >
Feather) the edge slightly to ensure that the transition between blurred and sharp picture parts
is less obvious. Apply the Gaussian Blur fi lter (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur) to the selection
Step 1 >> Carefully select the part of
the picture that is to be your point of
focus – the area that will remain
sharp.
Step 4 >> Apply a small Gaussian
Blur to this initial selection. Here I
have used a radius of 1.0 pixels.
Book resources at: www.adv-elements.com
Step 2 >> Feather (1 or 2 pixels) and
then save the selection.
Step 5 >> Reduce the area that is
selected by selecting the Contract
command from the Select menu.
Step 3 >> Use the Inverse command
to select the rest of the picture.
Step 6 >> Feather the new selection
by a greater amount. Here I have
used 10 pixels. Save the selection.