| Photoshop Tutorials » Effect » Depth |
This tutorial shows you how to make a �Depth of Field Effect� in Photoshop this is where you pick something in an image that you want to �Stand Out� and then blur the background so the focal point of the image changes, really cool effect and can be used on any image.
In this Adobe Photoshop tutorial, we're going to look at an easy way to adjust the depth of field in a photo, keeping only a small portion of the image in focus while taking the rest of it out of focus. This is a great way to bring attention to a specific part of an image (someone's face, for example), and the effect is similar to how things would look if we had shot the photo with a wide aperture.
For this technique it is a good idea to sometimes change the opacity of the paint brush you are using. By changing the opacity you can blend the effect and make the low depth of field look more realistic. For this photo you can see where I lowered the opacity as I brushed toward the back of the car so the gaussian blur is only partially erased in some areas.
Now we can finally add the blur (Depth of Field) to our objects! You can use Photoshop's Lens Blur option, but I prefer to use the Gaussian Blur Filter (Filter -> Blur -> Gaussian Blur). The amount of blur you use depends on how �far� away your objects are from the point of focus. Play with the sliders under you get an acceptable result.
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So we're ready to explore some different ways to add the depth our image desperately needs! As we go, each section of our interface gives us unique challenges for adding depth -- which gives us the opportunity to use a variety of methods throughout this tutorial (yes, I know, I'm a genius...what planning!)
Depth of field (DOF) is probably a term you have heard used in photography often enough, but what does it really mean, and how can you use it to make your digital pictures better?
This entry was posted on Sunday, January 7th, 2007 at 1:45 pm and is filed under Graphics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
I have already done a tutorial on creating a starburst brush but I feel this wasn't enough. I will be showing you in this tutorial how to create a range of different starburst effects. Here is a example of what we will be creating at the start of this guide.
I am going to show you how to edit an image such as an explosion to give it more impact, depth and effect to the viewer. This is what we are going to do:
This article is intended for the DSLR camera user, who has some notion of what DOF and apertures are, in relation to imagers. However, I welcome you to read the following regardless of your photographic experience or level, because it will eventually make sense to you. Be sure to check my other articles, as I will be covering apertures and Depth Of Field terminology for basic users in the future. Aperture And DOF When I'm asked about a camera's unsharp behavior from users, I immediately ask them about what type of camera they have--DSLR or a compact camera (DSLR-Type, Point & Shoot, etc.). Many DSLR camera owners are having difficulties understanding Depth Of Field (DOF), and how it relates to apertures, and imagers. One of the reasons for this and why there is so little experience with DOF, is because compact cameras have been used for the majority of a camera user's life, and are now discovering (albeit indirectly) the aperture ranges of a DSLR, have a much wider variance than their compact camera. When shooting an image at f/2.8-f/4.0 (which is the general aperture range on compact cameras), most of the image is going to be in focus automatically (i.e, there is going to be a very large Depth Of Field). The reason, is because of the size of the imager. Basically put, the smaller the imager in relation to a 35mm camera, the larger your DOF will be. The average imager on a compact camera gives you approximately FIVE TIMES as much DOF as a 35mm camera. In other words, if you're used to shooting images with a Point & Shoot camera, and you shoot at an aperture of f/2.8, it would be like shooting at f/14 on a 35mm camera (5 * 2.8 = 14. If you have purchased a Nikon D70, Rebel XT, or a Canon 20D, the DOF problem isn't so bad, but you will still be experiencing the pains of getting used to a different Depth Of Field and aperture settings if you've been using a compact camera most of your photographic life. So, let's get to the first reason of why your images are unsharp. Since your DOF was significantly larger when you had a compact camera, and since you have a DSLR now, this could be the reason. Be sure to check your aperture settings on your DSLR and make mental notes of the apertures when you shoot. And probably the hardest thing you will need to do, is get used to the new DOF of your DSLR. I'm not going to tell you to FORGET the DOF of the compact camera you used in the past, because you might be still using it as your backup camera. So, you're going to have...
Depth of field (DOF) is probably a term you have heard used in photography often enough, but what does it really mean, and how can you use it to make your digital pictures better? The term depth of field refers to how much of your picture is in sharp focus. For example, in portrait shots you will notice that the background is often blurred and soft looking, while the subject is clear and sharp. Pictures like this have a shallow depth of field. You have probably also noticed that in landscape shots everything in the picture is often sharp and clear, all the way from the dead tree in the foreground to the mountains off in the distance. Pictures like this have a deep depth of field. There are two main things that affect depth of field: 1.) The aperture (or F stop) setting--this refers to how wide the shutter opens. 2.) The focal length of the lens--this refers to how much the lens �zooms in� your subject. First we'll take a look at the aperture settings. Most digital cameras have an aperture range of about F2.8 to F8, and this range usually compresses to about F4.5 to F8 when using full zoom. These aperture ranges vary somewhat from camera to camera, but we will use F2.8 to F8, with a full zoom range of F4.5 to F8, as our example. At the lowest setting (F2.8), the object you focus on will be sharp, but objects in the background will appear softer and out of focus. At the highest setting (F8), everything from the foreground of your picture to the objects off in the distance will appear sharp and in focus. Now the focal length--we'll use a digital camera with a 4 times zoom (35mm to 140mm focal length) as our example. At the 35mm end of your zoom range (no zoom), pretty much everything in your pictures will appear in focus. However, at the 140mm end of your zoom range (full zoom), only the object you focus on will appear sharp. So how does all this translate into making better pictures with your digital camera? Well, it's like this: Set your camera to �aperture priority�. Your camera's manual will have simple directions on how to do this (it's quite often just a matter of turning the dial on top). Once you have your camera on �aperture priority�, you will be able to select the aperture setting that you want, and the camera automatically chooses the correct shutter speed. If you want to take a picture where only your subject is in focus (like a portrait for example), first, zoom in rather than get close, and second, choose an aperture setting with the lowest num...
If we said that Depth of Field was the range of focus found in any given picture, we would be partially right. Just as a camera is the box that captures light; it is also much more than that. A camera is made up of many parts. Depth of Field also has many parts. There are several other terms that relate to what this particular concept of design can do for us. The phrases Aperture, Shutter, ISO, Hyper Focal Distance, and Bracketing are all good to be aware of when you start to really �get into� Depth of Field. Depth of Field (DOF for short), is usually associated with the aperture which is often used interchangeably with the word f-stop. The Aperture controls the amount of light that passes through the lens and onto the film; or in the digital world, onto the sensor inside the camera. This amount of light is determined by the size of the lens opening (the aperture) inside the lens. On the older traditional 35mm cameras, the settings on the outside of lens that controlled this function were called f-stops. That's why even though technically they are two different things; many writers use the words aperture and f-stop as if they were one and the same. It's like calling the door knob, a door. You do use one thing to affect the other, but they are NOT one and the same. The greater amount of light the aperture allows in, the narrower the depth of field is, and visa versa; the less amount of light the aperture allows inside, the wider the depth of field is. Many beginning students get confused by this. Since the f-stop is what controls this light, the easiest way to remember it is: Small number = small f-stop (f 1.8) = small amount of picture in focus. Large number = large f-stop (f 32) = large amount of picture in focus. The Shutter also affects this same light; where as the aperture controls �how much�, the shutter controls �how long�. If the shot is exposed for too long a time the photograph will appear washed out. If the shot is exposed for too short a time the photograph will appear too dark. This is commonly referred to as: over exposure and under exposure. Shutter Speed (how long things are exposed); can be used to freeze things in midair (with a fast speed), or it can be used to intentionally blur something like water (with a slow speed). As a general rule if you want to freeze something you want a shutter speed of 1/500th of a second or faster. As a general rule if you want to blur something (on purpose), you would use a slow shutter speed like 1/30th of...
Depth of Field (DOF for short), is usually associated with the aperture which is often used interchangeably with the word f-stop. The Aperture controls the amount of light that passes through the lens and onto the film; or in the digital world, onto the sensor inside the camera. This amount of light is determined by the size of the lens opening (the aperture) inside the lens. On the older traditional 35mm cameras, the settings on the outside of lens that controlled this function were called f-stops. That's why even though technically they are two different things; many writers use the words aperture and f-stop as if they were one and the same. It's like calling the door knob, a door. You do use one thing to affect the other, but they are NOT one and the same. The greater amount of light the aperture allows in, the narrower the depth of field is, and visa versa; the less amount of light the aperture allows inside, the wider the depth of field is. Many beginning students get confused by this. Since the f-stop is what controls this light, the easiest way to remember it is: Small number = small f-stop (f 1.8) = small amount of picture in focus. Large number = large f-stop (f 32) = large amount of picture in focus. The Shutter also affects this same light; where as the aperture controls "how much", the shutter controls "how long". If the shot is exposed for too long a time the photograph will appear washed out. If the shot is exposed for too short a time the photograph will appear too dark. This is commonly referred to as: over exposure and under exposure. The Shutter Speed (how long things are exposed); can be used to freeze things in midair (with a fast speed), or it can be used to intentionally blur something like water (with a slow speed). As a general rule if you want to freeze something you want a shutter speed of 1/500th of a second or faster. As a general rule if you want to blur something (on purpose), you would use a slow shutter speed like 1/30th of a second or longer. Just remember, that generally you only want part of the picture as a blur so when you do use slower speeds, also use a tripod. Wherever you focus your lens within a given image, there will be an area that is in focus and other areas that are out of focus. The area that is "in focus" is referred to as the "focal plane". The important thing to remember is that 1/3rd of this focal plane is in front of whatever you focused on, and 2/3rd's of the focal plane is behind whatever you focused o...
When you take a picture not everything will be in focus. You may hear a lot said about �depth of field�. Don't be confused by this terminology � it's easy to understand and, used correctly, will help your images have more impact. In any picture, there will be areas in the foreground (in front of you subject) and areas in the background (behind your subject) that will be out of focus. If you take a picture of your dog on the lawn, both the grass in front and the fence behind will be less sharply in focus that the dog itself. The area between these two out of focus parts is known as the �depth of field� and can be seen as the parts of the image, from front to back, that are in focus. But, it doesn't stop there! The size of the aperture that your lens is set at for the shot will determine the depth of field. A larger aperture (small number) will have a small depth of field whereas a small aperture (large number) will have a greater one. There's more! The distance away from the subject will also change the depth of field. The picture of the mountain in the distance will have a large area of focus whereas the close up of the bumble bee on a flower will have a tiny depth of field. More � What does this mean? You may want a large depth of field so that as much as possible is in focus. This is a technique particularly useful in landscape photography. In this case, move away from the subject and use a small aperture. On the other hand, you may wish a small depth of field. For a close up shot (for example of the bumble bee) the shallow depth of field will isolate the bee by blurring the background. This is useful for other shots as well (for example, portraits). In these cases, use a large aperture and get closer to your subject. It's easy! Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com
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I'm going to show you a quick tip on how to increase the color range of a picture, which will in turn give it more depth. The specific image I'm using gives the image a warm fire place effect.
Using this image in the tutorial or your own image we will be taking several steps to correct the image lighting, detail and create a desired effect. If you need the main image for this tutorial, you can download it here: tutorial image to download, just right click and save the link.
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This tutorial will show you how to give fantastic depth to your regular flat photos in order to really liven up your graphics! I've used this technique, or variations of it countless times in my design work. The key is to give focus to your images, as far too many images appear unprofessional as the background has equal precedence to the more important parts of the graphic.
Here is the first picture I added it to:
In this picture, the focal point of is the middle pon. It’s very close to the person viewing this image. As you can see there are other pons behind this one. As they move further back in the picture they become smaller and blurred.
Load your image into Photoshop, again make sure that you the whole image is in view. When an image is far bigger then the plain view it can sometimes be hard to select the object entirely with it's smallest details. If you find it hard to get the smaller detailed selected then you can of course zoom in and select it that way. However, make sure you see the whole image while you work with the blurring itself. That way you get more power controlling the outcome.
