testerp Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Hello. I have searched and search on how to reduce depth of field in a digital photograph. The closest I could find was this blurry tutorial. I couldn't keep up with the video: http://tutorials.downloadroute.com/video-131836.html Can someone explain to me what the video is showing or tell me how make a shallower depth of field using paint.net? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarkut Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 The video shows the Lasso Select tool being used to make various selections of the background. The selections have blur applied to them. The flower in the foreground remains always unselected, so it never gets blurred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testerp Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 The video shows the Lasso Select tool being used to make various selections of the background. The selections have blur applied to them. The flower in the foreground remains always unselected, so it never gets blurred. Actually it looks more like the Lasso Select Tool selects the flower then the selection is INVERTED, then blur is added. The next steps are unclear because it looks like they are selecting portions of the blurred background and doing something to it. Hmmmm. Also, is there a trick/method to accurately selecting a subject with Lasso? I can't seem to trace the outline of my subject as precisely as I would like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St1cki3 Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 (edited) This could help. d.a says it fakes a smaller depth of field. Tilt-shifting, or how to shrink a city in five easy steps! Edited September 20, 2010 by St1cki3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarkut Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 (edited) Actually it looks more like the Lasso Select Tool selects the flower then the selection is INVERTED, then blur is added. Yes, that is the first of the various selections of the background. The next steps are unclear because it looks like they are selecting portions of the blurred background and doing something to it. Additional overlapping selections are blurred at low radius. If too heavy a blur is applied at one time to a single selection, the border of the selection will be visible. Also, areas of the background that are more distant can be given more blurring than nearer parts of the background. Also, is there a trick/method to accurately selecting a subject with Lasso? I can't seem to trace the outline of my subject as precisely as I would like. Click on the Lasso Select icon, then in the toolbar, change Selection Mode to Add (union). Zoom in and make a series of smaller overlapping lasso selections. Edited September 20, 2010 by Sarkut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testerp Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 Additional overlapping selections are blurred at low radius. If too heavy a blur is applied at one time to a single selection, the border of the selection will be visible. Also, areas of the background that are more distant can be given more blurring than nearer parts of the background. What tool would be used to select the "additional overlapping sections"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarkut Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 (edited) Lasso Select. With Selection Mode set to Replace. Edited September 20, 2010 by Sarkut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testerp Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 Also, is there a trick/method to accurately selecting a subject with Lasso? I can't seem to trace the outline of my subject as precisely as I would like. Zoom in and make a series of smaller overlapping lasso selections. Is the person (in the video linked to in my original post) tracing around the outline of the flower or is he/she just getting close to the outline/border? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarkut Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Is the person (in the video linked to in my original post) tracing around the outline of the flower or is he/she just getting close to the outline/border? They are tracing the outline of the flower closely, at least initially. The cursor for the Lasso Select tool is not registering properly in the video capture, so it is misleading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testerp Posted September 21, 2010 Author Share Posted September 21, 2010 I have read about how other software is used to create a shallower depth of field. Many of them do it with something called Layers. Do you think the Lasso method as shown in the video in the first post would be more effective than the Layer method? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarkut Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 If I were doing one of these I would definitely make use of layers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testerp Posted September 21, 2010 Author Share Posted September 21, 2010 What advantages does using Layers have? More control or is it quicker? P.S. Any idea why I am no longer receiving notification of replies to this thread?? It says: You are currently receiving email notification of replies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarkut Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 More control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testerp Posted September 21, 2010 Author Share Posted September 21, 2010 Does anyone know what would be the next steps after duplicating a Layer? Would I next choose a blur radius? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testerp Posted September 23, 2010 Author Share Posted September 23, 2010 I will paypal $7 USD if someone can effectively explain the steps to reduce depth of field in a picture using Layers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ego Eram Reputo Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 This: This could help. d.a says it fakes a smaller depth of field. Tilt-shifting, or how to shrink a city in five easy steps! I don't want your money. Donate it to Paint.Net. Quote  ebook: Mastering Paint.NET | resources: Plugin Index | Stereogram Tut | proud supporter of Codelab plugins: EER's Plugin Pack | Planetoid | StickMan | WhichSymbol+ | Dr Scott's Markup Renderer | CSV Filetype | dwarf horde plugins: Plugin Browser | ShapeMaker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testerp Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 The tilt shift tutorial refers to TRUE BLUR effect. I don't have it in my recent version of paint.net. Does anyone know which blur is closest to True Blur? Was it replaced by something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyrochild Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 True Blur is found in Ed Harvey's plugin pack: Quote ambigram signature by Kemaru [i write plugins and stuff] If you like a post, upvote it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testerp Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 Nevermind. Those steps don't create a shallow depth of field for a photo in which you have one subject that must remain in focus. It merely creates a gradient of focus/unfocus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarkut Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 If you post a link to an actual photo that you want to do this to, I'll try to give you some more detailed suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ego Eram Reputo Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Have a look at this tutorial: Applied Distance Blur (using Alpha Masking). Any use? Quote  ebook: Mastering Paint.NET | resources: Plugin Index | Stereogram Tut | proud supporter of Codelab plugins: EER's Plugin Pack | Planetoid | StickMan | WhichSymbol+ | Dr Scott's Markup Renderer | CSV Filetype | dwarf horde plugins: Plugin Browser | ShapeMaker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testerp Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 Here's a pic: and here's how I would like it to look by decreasing the depth of field with Paint.net: Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarkut Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Here's what I got. What was done here was to: Use the Lasso Select tool in Add(union) mode, select the blossoms and cut, paste into a new layer. Do the same to the stem sections. You should now have three layers. Blossoms on top, stems in the middle, and on the bottom the original with a big hole in it. Apply Feather Object at a radius of 4 to each layer. Apply AA's Assistant at default to the top layer. ========================================== In the Layers window, remove the checkmarks from the upper two layers, and click on the bottom layer. ========================================== Effects > Distort > Frosted Glass Settings: 12.00 0.00 8 Effects > Blurs > Gaussian Blur @ radius of 12 Adjustments > Transparency @100 Opacity ======= Repeat the three steps above twice more to begin blurring the background while healing the hole. For additional blurring of the background use Unfocus blur. ========================================== The stem layer can be blurred using Gaussian Blur. ========================================== The blossoms can be blurred selectively with the Smudge plugin. Use a soft brush, size 60 and/or larger, strength around 35. Position the brush, go mouse-button down, and jiggle slightly in place. The more jiggling, the more blur. =================================== Feather Object and Transparency are plugins in the BoltBait pack. AA's Assistant is in the dpy plugin pack. Smudge is in the pyrochild pack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testerp Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 Thank you very much. I will practice this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testerp Posted October 6, 2010 Author Share Posted October 6, 2010 (edited) Sarkut, how long would you say it took you to make the changes to the above picture? Also, I see that you used Gaussian Blur for one part of the pic and Unfocus Blur for another part. How did you determine which blur to use? As a newbie I would have probably just chosen one type of blur. Thanks. Edited October 6, 2010 by testerp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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