

She looking quite lovely, but the rest of her gang, WC Fields and Harpo, are crowding her. Photo A : Before and After Brush Blur Copyright © Jim Austin The Brush Blur Tutorial
How to blur background in lightroom 5 how to#
Now that you know how to blur images in Adobe Lightroom, would you recommend it? Or do you prefer blurring them with simpler tools? Share your opinions in the comments below.The goal here is to blur the background in Lightroom and to go beyond the brush blur itself, because this tip shows how to give your photograph a stronger center of interestĪn easy method to blur a distracting background in Lightroom is this technique that I teach in my classes called The Brush Blur. That’s why blurring in Lightroom can provide stunning results, unlike the default effects and filters of simple apps. You can also apply other effects to the layer mask and experiment with your image. However, with this kind of blurring, you have a much better control of the blurring area and the intensity. In popular quick image editing tools such as the one for Instagram, you can blur a picture in a matter of seconds. Name the new image and choose the destination folder.Īs you can see, Lightroom offers a non-conventional burring effect.Click the ‘Export’ button on the bottom-left, next to the ‘Import’ button that you’ve used in the first step.Select the ‘Library’ tab on the top-right of the screen.Click the ‘Done’ button on the bottom right, below the edited image.

If you want to store your new work, you’ll need to do it manually. Since it is non-destructive software, it won’t modify the original image file by default. When you’re done with the image, Lightroom will store it in its library. You can repeat it as many times as you want until you are satisfied with your image. This will add an even better blurring effect. If you’re still unsatisfied with the blur effect, you can repeat the whole process again, adding another layer mask and reducing clarity and sharpness. Move the values of the ‘Clarity’ and ‘Sharpness’ options to -100 (the lowest possible).You need to remove the layer mask so you can make your adjustments. The mask will disappear, however, the marked area will remain. Uncheck the ‘Show Selected Mask Overlay’ button.Make sure you’re following these steps if you want to do everything properly: They are both in the Customizations menu to the right. The two customization options you should use are clarity and sharpness. Once you’re satisfied with the layer mask on your background, it’s time to add the blurring effect. You can undo any mistakes by clicking the ‘Erase’ button in the menu to the right.Make sure to be patient and detailed around the edges of your focus object. Use the brush to paint the background area as precise as you can.Brush ‘Flow’ determines the stroke intensity, while the ‘Feather’ option determines the softness of the brush. If you need to blur a huge area, a large brush may be a better choice. When you want to blur background with a sensitive focal point (rough edges, tiny details, etc.) it’s best to customize a small brush. You can pick between a preset one or creating your own custom brush. Select ‘Show Selected Mask Overlay’ below the picture so the tool automatically marks the path of your layer mask.Click the ‘New’ button underneath so you can start creating a layer mask.This will open a menu with a bunch of effects. Select the ‘Adjustment Brush’ button on the pane to the right.However, the process requires a few steps. When you’ve done it, you can apply the blurred mask to the marked area which will achieve the desired effect. To apply blurred background in Lightroom, you essentially need to make a layer mask around the focal point of your image. Now that you’ve imported and prepared the image, it’s time to blur it. This will open the toolbars that will help you modify your image. Move your mouse to the top of the screen for the menu to appear.Alternatively, you can click the ‘Import’ button again and manually navigate to the image folder before you select it.Drag and drop an image from your file manager to the library window.Click the ‘Import’ button on the bottom left of the screen.So, first, you got to import the image that you’re going to use. Although you can use this tool to edit and manage multiple images at once, you can only blur one image at a time. The blurring method is quite different in Lightroom compared to other image editing tools. You’ll just need to modify your approach a bit. There’s nothing to worry about, however, as you can still blur an image with Lightroom.
