softening on PS

[elfyrulz]

is there an easier way to soften a photo? I wanted it to look like it was taking using a soft lens filter. adding a few mist on the side of the subject and a little bit on the background.

[Scottes]

Duplicate the background layer and run Gaussian Blur with Radius 20 (for full-sized images) on that duplicate. Then reduce the opacity of that layer to about 10-40%. Setting that layer to Lighten mode may also be nice.

You can erase paths of the duplicated layer to get sharpness back for eyes, etc.

[gmitchel]

You could use the lens blur filter. It does a better job than Gaussian Blur for simulating the blur of lenses.

I agree this should be done on a layer so you can choose a blend mode and adjust the opacity to add a diffuse glow.

Cheers,

Mitch