dreamy effect

[advdesigns]

Hey,

My husband is the one who usually visits this forum but I like to shoot too!

I asked him if he knew how to do this to a photo and he said he wasnt sure, probably a filter. Then told me if I wanted a good answer from pros to come here and ask.

If someone does know could someone explain how to do that. I'm good with photoshop. Using CS right now.

TIA,

Marian

http://advdesigns.net/Photography/Glow.jpg

[iwatkins]

Take the shot as normal then play with the blur/soften filters in CS.

Or get a plain glass filter (UV will do) and smear a little Vaseline on it before taking the shot. Usually gives a nicer effect than doing it post process.

Cheers

Ian

[alsmith]

A very slight soft focus filter then a slight blur in PS works also and you can control the blur area's using masks.

[robertwgross]

Or get a plain glass filter (UV will do) and smear a little Vaseline on it before taking the shot.

Ian, I've tried this before. Do you get the Vaseline on the entire filter surface, or do you just get it around the outside and leave the center clean?

---Bob Gross---

[iwatkins]

Or get a plain glass filter (UV will do) and smear a little Vaseline on it before taking the shot.

Ian, I've tried this before. Do you get the Vaseline on the entire filter surface, or do you just get it around the outside and leave the center clean?

---Bob Gross---

Bob,

Haven't done it in years to be honest. But when I did do it, I used to spread it over the whole filter but then clear the center by rubbing my finger over it with a lot of pressure, to kind of squeege off the worst. I only used this for facial portraits, but did also work OK for group shots.

It was very much trial and error then as I was using film, but the only tip I can give is that it works better in bright light and you often need more on the filter than you might think.

Actually, I might give it a go tomorrow with the 10D and see if that still works. :)

Cheers

Ian

[PhotosGuy]

Marian, P$hop will allow you to try different things. Blur in the cam is a one time thing & difficult to change after.
Dupe the pic layer.
Filter>Blur / Gaussian blur to the dupe layer. Do a bit more than you need. Then reduce the layers Opacity 'till it looks right.
Erase areas that you want to be clear.

Or get a plain glass filter (UV will do) and smear a little Vaseline on it before taking the shot.
Sometimes, just the oil from the side of your nose is enough. Use a tripod & just put it where you need it on the UV filter. Maybe better is to tape clear glass to the lens hood (to get a different blur) & grease that.
K-Y jelly is washable & better than vaseline.

[advdesigns]

Thanks never thought of the vaseline trick. Got something new to try.

Are you sure the picture is just blured? It kinda looks almost painted. I've seen other pictures such as portraits that have a glow to them where the colors are real bright and certain things are in focus but other things look painted. I cant figure it out.

Thanks again.

Marian

[robertwgross]

The vaseline trick is very cheap.

We don't know what effects may have been used to blur the image at issue. A diffusion filter will do some of that. A partner in wedding photography occasionally uses a diffusion filter to overly-soften a shot. I guess if you don't have a real diffusion filter, you can try to make your own. Find a piece of discarded ladies nylon stocking in black color. You will need a piece larger than your camera lens front. You stretch that over the lens front and fasten it (tape?).

If the weave is stretched correctly, it provides a smoothing of the small detail of the image (like removing skin pores from a patch of smooth skin).

---Bob Gross---

[Jesper]

Take a sharp photo first. Then, in Photoshop, do this:

- make a copy of the background layer
- apply Gaussian blur to the copy (Filter / Blur / Gaussian Blur...) with a large radius, I'd say 10-30 pixels
- change the opacity of the blurred layer to somewhere between 25%-50%

That way, you'll keep the sharp edges but also get this dreamy blur effect.

[asylum24]

instead of changing the oppacity, change the blending mode to lighten and you can get a better effect 90% of the time, also try puting it on overlay to get a different but still cool looking effect,

[PhotosGuy]

instead of changing the oppacity, change the blending mode to lighten and you can get a better effect 90% of the time, also try puting it on overlay to get a different but still cool looking effect,

True. The problem is that we usually have no way of knowing what photoprocessing programs people have, or what their experience level is, so I try to keep advice sort of simple & just suggest alternatives. Post processing and printing is probably a better place for that anyway I suppose. Still, we try to help where we can, right?

[asylum24]

right... I may be a ****ty photographer but I know photoshop damnit. :)

[advdesigns]

Thanks everyone for the tips. I think that I can create this kind of look now. I will post one of my edited photos when I'm done.

Marian