Blur background

[CatherineL]

I got an email from the mom about the picture for her son's yearbook photo. They said to ask the photographer to blur the background so it doesn't look like it's an outdoor photo. I tried a gaussian blur, but I'm getting a weird blue line above his shoulder. Should I be using a different blur tool? Thank you for any help. I'll post a before and after.

[Damien Symonds]

The key to blurring is the cloning first.

http://www.damiensymonds.net/2010/06/blurring-background-false-dof.html

[CatherineL]

Thank you Damien!

I'm up to the part where I select inverse, but I can't figure out how the mask changes to white?? Mine is staying black.

[Damien Symonds]

Just click on the mask (in case it isn't selected already) then Ctrl I (for "inverse").

[CatherineL]

Thanks so much. Now I'm at the gradient layer. Totally lost here. I watched the video with the gray background and the baby with the blue balloon, but I'm not sure what exactly I'm supposed to do with it at this point. The "draw with a gradient from a bottom up" part especially.

Edited September 28, 2016 by CatherineL

[Damien Symonds]

Have you got the Gradient Tool selected?

[CatherineL]

Nope.

 

[CatherineL]

Are gradients discussed in the layers class?

[Damien Symonds]

9 hours ago, CatherineL said:

Nope.

Did you get it?  How did you go?

9 hours ago, CatherineL said:

Are gradients discussed in the layers class?

A little, yes, but much more in the Levels one.

[CatherineL]

 I was clicking on the gradient fill, not the tool. And I'm selecting the gradient tool on the blur layer, correct? Or do i need to make another layer for it?

This is what happens when I draw a line:

[Damien Symonds]

You forgot to turn off the Blur Copy layer, I think?

[CatherineL]

[CatherineL]

This is what happened when I drew the line. Sorry, I am just lost here...

 

[Damien Symonds]

Because you now have the layer selected, not the mask.  Click on the mask, so it has the little border around it.

PLEASE take the Layers & Masks Class.  For only a few dollars, it will make everything a lot easier for you.

[CatherineL]

I know. That will be my next class for sure.

So the blur copy was actually a little cloning I had to do. (I'm guessing I didn't do as well as I thought with the original cloning layer.) So I need to do the gradient on the "a little cloning" mask, right? Or do i do it on the "BLUR copy" mask? And which way do I draw the line for the gradient? When I go from bottom to top, I get this:

Do I have to mask again after applying the gradient? I didn't see that in the Blurring a background tutorial.

[Damien Symonds]

You can't have multiple cloning layers.  It has to be just one layer.

[CatherineL]

Dear God, THAT was my problem this whole time?!?! Taking the Layers and Masks Class asap. How does it look?

[Damien Symonds]

Not as blurred as I expected.

[CatherineL]

Actually, when I applied the gradient, it seem to take the blur away. After comparing them side by side.

[Damien Symonds]

Then may I see a screenshot again?

[CatherineL]

The first one is the original. The second one is adding the blur, but before the gradient.

[CatherineL]

Forget that one.

Here is the original, the blur added, then applying the gradient.

[Damien Symonds]

No, I mean a screenshot from Photoshop.  Showing your layers panel and everything.

[CatherineL]

[Damien Symonds]

Yeah, your gradient went the wrong way.  It should be white at the top fading to black at the bottom.