Need Picture Help... How to Fix One and a Question...

[LauraLeigh]

I have a picture, that because of the way the car is working, looks awesome and my friend is pumped and wants to enlarge it. I am wondering if there is a way through Photoshop to "blur" the background and keep the car and track around it in focus? I wish I could install the Photoshop that I spent all that coin on, on my Mac at least then I could fiddle with them better..

I also want to know, I see action shots all the time, with the background blurred and the car in focus, I know nothing about photography really, I just have an eye, can focus fast, and have decent gear... I have never been trained, or book learned anything, it's all been trial and error... LOL

So the question is, how do I make that happen? I have it happen at night sometimes as the light fades, so it may be light related? But there must be a way I can set up the camera to have that effect? Any Idea's? Or anyone know of a good website for simple tips for photography... I may need to start reading to get the results I want now... LOL

Here is the Picture I want to blur the background on... Made smaller in photobucket, I want to change the full sized orginal. Any idea if it can be done?

[Brandyb]

Yup - it definitely can be done. Photoshop of course, not sure if there are other programs that will do the same.
What you need to do, or this is how I would do it, is select just the car ... I use the polygonal lasso tool, and you can feather it just slightly, makes the transition from selection to background less noticeable and the choppy selection tool much less choppy. It's usually the 2nd tool down on the left of the tool bar...you may have to select through a couple to find it...leave your curser over the tool and in a second it'll tell you the name of the tool.
To feather go to "select" then "feather" (sometimes it ends up in a different window, but you'll always find it under "select") then choose a percentage...I would say 3-5. Once you've done that, you'll need to inverse the selection, so back to "select" and click "inverse". Now the background is selected. Then do to "filter" and the "blur" option. My guess is you'll probably want "motion" blur, but play around and see what looks best.
I'm sure there are other ways to go about doing this - but this I find the easiest most straight forward to do.
Below is one of my photos that I just did quickly to give you an idea of how it can look with motion blur. Of course the edges of the dog are cr@ppy because I did it very quickly, but if you take your time, the edges can be done very descretely.
Hope this helps.

[Dekka]

I did it a little different.. this took me about 3 min of photoshop...

I erased the background, then took the original- cropped it, added a motion blur, then put the car back on top. The edges aren't clean as I just did a quick job of it.



For a blurred background you can try panning with the car...

[LauraLeigh]

Originally Posted by Dekka

I did it a little different.. this took me about 3 min of photoshop...

I erased the background, then took the original- cropped it, added a motion blur, then put the car back on top. The edges aren't clean as I just did a quick job of it.



For a blurred background you can try panning with the car...

That is awesome!!!!! That's just what I was looking for, would you be willing to do that to the original (I'd like to blow it up and frame it) I could email it to you...

That's it.... I may need to invest in Photoshop for my Mac...

I have tried panning, and still most of the background is in focus, should I try panning at a different iso? (I keep it at 1600 for the races)

[Dekka]

Sure how big is it it file wise? then I know what email to give you

[LauraLeigh]

It's 1.2 MB 2147x1432.... I will be in your debt!!!!

I took this one of my daughter Last night, Her very first time ever on the track, and her very first race car!! The light was fading, and it did the "blur" natural... I just can't figure out how to "Make" it do that!!!

[Dekka]

what is your aperture set at?

email.. greywynd at nexicom period net.

[LauraLeigh]

Originally Posted by Dekka

what is your aperture set at?

email.. greywynd at nexicom period net.

That's the same as F-stop, right? See I told you I can point, focus(when not on auto and know a bit, but mostly from trial and error) The lens is 2.8... Is that what you mean?

Oh, and I have a 1.4 extender on, so that reduces it, can't remember by how much...


I really need to take some classes, I put my camera on manual to set the iso, but know very little about the other settings...