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This lesson demonstrates how to create Depth of Field by blurring an image’s background. This technique is a great way of adding impact to a subject - or disguising less than perfect backgrounds. You will find the poppy image Here. Unzip the file and open the image onto Photoshop’s workspace, ready to work with.
Undo and Navigation Steps
Two ways of undoing steps are from the top menu, Edit then Step Backwards. Alternatively, click a previous snapshot in the History Palette.
Navigate (zoom in and pan) your image using the Navigator Palette,
or the Zoom Tool. 
Activate The Hand Tool by tapping the Spacebar, keeping the Spacebar pressed, pan your image in the usual way. 
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Open your start image onto Photoshop’s workspace.
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Then from the toolbar, activate the Polygonal Lasso Tool. Polygonal Lasso Lesson!
And set the following attributes into the Options bar.
Feathering Information
The Feather amount is dependent on your image, and the look you are seeking: therefore, when working with your own image, for optimum results, you need to experiment with this setting. I set Feather of 20 for my example of our cat Harry.
Now, carefully bit-by-bit, left-click and stretch a lasso line around the contours of the poppy. After you have completed the circuit, pass your cursor over the exact point where you began, then double-left-click. The lasso line will immediately change to a selection marquee (moving dotted lines) as shown below.
Tip
Whilst you are stretching the line and before the marquee is applied, to go back one step, press either, the Delete or the Backspace key of your keyboard - press your chosen key for however many steps you want to go back - this is for Window PC users, I am currently unfamiliar with Mac’s.
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After you have isolated the poppy with a selection marquee; from the top menu, choose Select then choose Inverse. The marquee now surrounds the poppy and the outer canvas - as illustrated below.
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Now, from the top menu, choose Filter then choose Blur then choose Gaussian Blur. In the subsequent Gaussian Blur dialogue box, enter a Radius of 4.9 (Pixels) - or experiment. Then click OK.
Note
A higher radius intensifies the blur.
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Whilst the selection marquee remains, experiment with different filters, and see how they effect your poppy’s background.
Note
To change the feathering after you have applied the marquee, right-click your image, and from the drop-down menu, choose, Feather and adjust the setting accordingly.
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When you are happy with your result, press Ctrl then D to remove the marquee.
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From the toolbar, activate the Blur Tool. 
Now, if you notice harsh edges where the marquee has been; set a very low Strength, (of around 2 to 5), and very carefully soften the edges.
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To finish, link Here to learn how to sharpen your image; (Filter then Sharpen), and save your work as demonstrated here.
Wendi E. M. Scarth. Top of Page - Home.
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