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This lesson demonstrates how to smooth skin tones, or soften landscapes - by applying a soft focus effect. To work along exactly, you can download the image I am working with Here. Unzip the file and open the image onto Photoshop’s workspace.
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 photograph onto Photoshop’s workspace.
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Then duplicate it by dragging its layer over the following Create a new layer icon.
Note
To apply a soft focus effect to just the face and neck area, before continuing, first isolate (the face and neck) with a selection marquee - as demonstrated Here. My Polygonal Lasso Tool lesson can be found Here.
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Working on the duplicated layer, (top layer), from the top menu, choose Filter then Blur then Gaussian Blur. Depending on the resolution of your image, choose a lower, or higher Radius setting than the 3.4 Pixels setting I am utilising.
Then click OK.
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From the top menu, choose Edit, then choose Fade Gaussian Blur, and set the Opacity to 49% - or thereabouts.
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Now, from the top menu, choose Filter then choose Sharpen then choose Unsharp Mask. Experiment with the settings, however; keep the Amount between 70 and 200, the Radius between 2 and 5, and the Threshold between, 10 and 17. I set the following attributes.
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From the top menu, choose, Image then choose Adjustments then choose Hue/Saturation. Now, increase Saturation to warm your subject’s face - I increased my Saturation to +26.
Your portrait - or landscape, should now have a warm, soft focus effect.
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Alternatively, instead of (or in addition to) the Saturation filter, apply a Photo Filter. From the top menu, choose Image then choose Adjustments then choose Photo
Filter. Experiment with different warming filters - or click the Colour swatch; and in the subsequent Colour Picker dialogue box, set a colour that works best for you.
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Learn how to disguise laughter lines and imperfections using the Healing Brush Here. Remember, different subjects, (and indeed image resolutions) require individual settings; therefore, for optimum results, experiment with all of the settings I have mentioned.
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When you are happy with your soft focus effect, from the top menu, choose Layer then choose Flatten Image, then link here to save your work!
Wendi E M Scarth. Top of Page - Home.
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