depth of field - CS5

[megan_stone]

<p>i've recently shot a portrait ... but had to shoot it at F8 .. therefore, my foreground & background are quite sharp. i would like to create shallow depth of field in CS5 ... i heard there is a way using the gradient tool to make it realistic and gradual .. but dont know the exact steps - please help.</p>

[tom_mann1]

<p>http://www.adobe.com/designcenter-archive/photoshop/articles/phs8pplensblur.html</p>

<p>http://www.ephotozine.com/article/using-photoshop-s-lens-blur-filter-to-create-depth-of-field-9670</p>

<p>http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/rp-tutorials/15180-simulating-depth-field-using-photoshop-lens-blur-filter.html</p>

<p>HTH,</p>

<p>Tom M</p>

 

[megan_stone]

<p>i still can't work out how to do it - tried to follow those instructions.</p>

<p>any other tutorials? :(</p>

[Spearhead]

<p>Post the photo, then it can be shown as a step-by-step fix.</p>

[megan_stone]

<p>I am unable to post the photo for privacy issues.<br>

I think I have finally come to an understanding of this process - but still stuck on one final issue.<br>

I am basically working on a portrait, in client's home. It is shot in front of a fireplace/bookshelf unit. Therefore, foreground of image one row of tiles, then the sitter, 5/6 more tiles behind the sitter and then the unit ... so there is nothing that goes any further than the unit.<br>

What I am struggling with - is when I apply the gradient tool to my blur ... the blur is increasing as it goes higher up on the bookshelf ... naturally that is wrong - as the entire background is on one focal plane.<br>

Which gradient tool should I use here ? Or what other method can i apply .. so that the gradual depth of field is seen initially in the foreground, then sharpens on the sitter.. then gradually increases on the tiles behind the sitter and then at its maximum for the bookshelf?<br>

Thank you for the help. </p>

[tom_mann1]

<p>Hi again, Megan -</p>

<p>In situations such as you described, you can't use a simple gradient as the depth map in the lens blur filter. Go to Google images and search {"depth map" plugin photoshop}. You will see lots of examples of depth maps that are a bit more complicated than just a simple gradient, e.g., http://www.dofpro.com/dofprovsdof.htm. As you can see, they don't have to be very complicated or detailed -- they just have to approximate the distance info a bit better than a simple gradient.</p>

<p>So, in the case you described, if my understanding of your geometry is correct, the most distant book shelf would be a single shade of gray, just like the nearest glass is in the example cited above.</p>

<p>HTH,</p>

<p>Tom M</p>

[megan_stone]

<p>maybe i'll just set a sublte gaussian blur ... a very subtle one.</p>