Faking Bokeh in Photoshop?

I'm a wedding photographer and am just really delving into the world of options

in postprocessing digital images. Recently, when viewing other photographers'

online work I've started noticing bokeh in many images that looks unlike

anything I've ever created with my L lenses wide open. The bokeh is often

smaller than I would expect, and snakes around the image in some spots. Can

anyone tell me, is this a Photoshop "trick" (plug-in, action, mask?).

 

Thanks for any advice.<div></div>

Here is how...

http://www.escrappers.com/lensblur.html

it requires a couple of advanced techniques but works much better than the "standard" select and blur techniques that you will find in most tutorials.

Then there are these: http://www.lensbabies.com/

"Faking" bokeh (out of focus background) with Photoshop depends on your Photoshop skill level. This hinges on selection, masking and blending, in addition to various filter options.

 

For advanced instruction on masking, I suggest you read "Masking and Compositing" by Katrin Eismann.

 

Your example is rife with artifacts. Back to the drawing board!

youre in trouble now, my observation now is that most portrait shooters and wedding photographers cant live without PS. In fact, for most, it's their bread and butter. I see so many shots that are not possible under real life conditions published and hanging on walls that I wondered if there were any shooters left just printing mostly native files. A little levels and some contrast and saturation are a must if you shoot raw, but today, most of the wedding stuff is way over done IMHO. I love to look at it, but I'd hate to spend the time making the shots on a computer.

Your sample photo is making my eyes hurt !

Harry, you're a poet.

If you use a lens that is labeled DO (diffraction optics) then you will get this effect for free. My 70-300 IS DO lens gives this effect wide open.

Jeff, are you serious? Is the bokeh really that ugly? If so.....then that's the downside to DO. Hmm..

<p>Lori,</p>

 

<p>A simple way to do this is to paint in the bokeh where you want it to appear with a

soft edged brush. These would be the steps in Photoshop:</p>

 

<ol>

<li>

Open an image and duplicate the layer you want to apply the effect to (press ctr/cmd J on

your keyboard).

</li>

<li>

Blur this layer by using Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur <em>or</em> Lens Blur.

</li>

<li>

Mask the blurred layer: Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All (or alt/opt click the layer mask icon

in the Layers Palette).

</li>

<li>

With your mouse click the layer mask you created in the Layers Palette to make sure it's

activated (it will have double edged corners). Switch to the Brush Tool by picking it in the

Toolbox or pressing the letter B on your keyboard. Press the letter D on your keyboard to

set white as your foreground color.

</li>

<li>

Now you're ready to paint in the blurred effect with your mouse in the image window.

These are some handy shortcuts for controlling the brush tool:

<ul>

<li>

The square bracket keys [ ] increase and decrease the size of the brush.

</li>

<li>

Shift + the square bracket keys increase and decrease the softness of the brush's edges.

</li>

<li>

Typing in numbers changes the opacity (strength) of the brush (i.e., typing 30 changes the

brush's opacity to 30%)

</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ol>