What do you think? (compare portrait)

I took this a couple of weeks ago with my Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens, I was still waiting for my new Tamron SP AF28-75 f2.8 XR Di Lens, I wish I had it for this picture.

You cant beat natural light IMO.

I know the second pic is not natural and its a dead giveaway, but I kind of like it, maybe I should have made the surroundings look a little cartoon like.

What do you think?

indeed a bit too much blur on 2nd one especially on the lower part of the photo!

Maybe I'll stick with the natural one lol

I just wish I'd had the Tamron then.

I do like how they stand out on the 2nd pic. but the feet just look so unnatural!

how do you make them stand out? Do you just blur the background with PS?

tania622 wrote in post #2067602
how do you make them stand out? Do you just blur the background with PS?

my guess would be cutting out the figures onto another layer and bluring the background?

I cut out the subjects in PS with magnetic lasoo, inverted, and then applied lens blur.

I wish I had more skill with PS, I must get myself onto a course in the near future.

If you still have the second one in layers... create a mask on the top layer and paint with black brush to blend the blur and focus so it gradually blurs out...

I like how they stand out in the 2nd image but like previously stated, I think the bottom is overdone. I think you could mess with it some more to get a more natural effect. Maybe just as simple as backing off on the blur some.

How about a little Radial Blur to make them stand out?

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

My take with the blending...

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

Your image is cute and your lasso selection quite good. If you used the blur tool to selectively blur the background rather than the lens blur tool I think it would look better. You can blend it in near their feet with the blur tool and taper to no blur at all.

Ryan's got it....

Thanks to all
What I have done is the same as before - selection, feather (3), invert, Lens blur
Then I took the history brush at opacity 16% and Flow 18 % with a 200 size brush, and worked around the feet area.
Still no where near perfect, but better than my first attempt.
Once again thanks for the idea's

Nice. It is much better than the first. You may want to get all that is about the same distance away from the camera un blurred...

Rhinotherunt wrote in post #2071718
Nice. It is much better than the first. You may want to get all that is about the same distance away from the camera un blurred...

Exactly. Remeber that focus is acieved on a plane. Everything on that plane will be in focus and gradually get blurred both in the foreground and background.