progressive bluring (or similar) to simulate DOF.

[nomel]

Is there a way to do progressive blurring in photoshop, or do you have to just draw it with a brush? Can you control blurring based on a layers color? Then you could draw gradients and use that to control the amount of blur. Is this possible?

Are there any other techniques?

[robh]

If you are using photoshop CS it has a new lens blur filter for this exact purpose. Goto Help>Welcome Screen>Tips & Tricks from the Experts, and Working with Lens Blur, for a good explanation of how it's used.

cheers... Rob

[Riccardo]

Try also here
http://www.theimagingfactory.com/data/pages/products/products4.htm#dfs
Simulated DOF v2.0
By simulating a shallower DOF, this tool helps to enhance the perception of depth in pictures, and to bring the focus of attention to a selective area...

[evilenglishman]

Is there a way to do progressive blurring in photoshop, or do you have to just draw it with a brush? Can you control blurring based on a layers color? Then you could draw gradients and use that to control the amount of blur. Is this possible?

Are there any other techniques?

yes, use the quick mask function. A quick example:

1. Open your image
2. make a new layer
3. enter quick mask mode (press Q or the box with a dark circle in it, under the main colour swatches in the tools menu).
4. select the gradient tool.
5. Choose the foreground to transparent gradient.
6. draw a gradient from top to bottom.
7. Leave quick mask mode the same way you entered it.

now you should see that you have a selection.

8. click on your original layer.
9. do a copy/paste - this will make a new layer automatically.
10. use gaussian blur (or any blur) on your new layer.
11. done.

note: you will probably need to mask out anything you want to stay sharp.

Tip: quickmask is easier to use if you:
1. double click the quick mask icon.
2. change "colour indicates" to selected areas.
3. change opacity to 100%
4. select a flourescent green colour instead of the default red colour

[4walls]

Using the above method (more or less), here is the result. Notice I masked out the girl to keep her in focus. All the grass from her feet back to the fence was all in focus in the original.

http://s94309565.onlinehome.us/albums/family/grumpy_bean_w.jpg

[drisley]

I found this tutorial VERY good.
It helps to eliminate the problem of being able to blur behind intricate subjects.
http://holodeck.st.usm.edu/vrcomputing/digital_imaging/depth_of_field.htm

[Trunkmonkey]

Yup. Lens Blur is your friend. In this photo, the product has a natural depth of field created by the camera, but there was no image on the screen. I had to drop in a screenshot and simulate the depth of field using Lens Blur in Photoshop CS:

http://www.pepper.com/images/stories/PepperPad/20040206-031-PepperPad_Group-DWC800_02.jpg

[cityboy_ca]

In PhotoPaint, mask the part of the image you want to remain in focus (the main subject) then copy it as a new object (CTRL-UpArrow).

Select the background and click on 'Paint On Mask' and fill it with a black and white gradient. Click off 'Paint On Mask' and apply Gaussian Blur. The areas that are black are not affected, the areas that are white are most affected. Of course, the gray areas are somewhere in between, depending on how dark they are.

You can mess about with linear, radial, etc. gradients to get some rather beautiful effects.