Blurred Background
A blurred background is when a picture looks unclear or hazy. This happens when the camera does not focus properly. If you look at a photograph through a magnifying glass, you will see that there is a clear area of your photo, and a blurred area around it.
The blurring of the background means that the camera did not focus properly. If you were taking a picture of a child playing in the garden, then you would have to focus carefully on your subject. If you were taking a group picture of a party or a wedding, you would probably need to move around to focus on different faces.
Your camera might not focus properly for a few reasons. First, if it has been dropped, or has dirt on it, or is old, it might not focus as well as new ones. Second, if you are using a zoom lens, then you may not be focusing on the same area that you were focused on when you took the photo. Third, if you are using automatic settings, it could have been set to focus on a subject rather than the whole scene.
You can sometimes fix a blurred background. If you have a digital camera, go to your menu options and select Photo Settings. Then choose ‘Blur/Focus’ and you should find a setting called ‘Auto’. Choose this and it should work.
If you are taking photos on a smartphone or using a point and shoot, you may find a menu option called ‘Focus’. Look for something like ‘AF Point/Spot Focus’ and choose this.
In most cases, though, the best solution is to use a tripod, or a camera with a built in bracket to hold your camera steady. This will help the picture look clearer.
How to Create a Blurred Background in Photoshop
1.Open Photoshop.
2.In the Layers panel, select the top layer (layer 1).
3.Make sure there are no other layers selected and click OK.
4.Select the Brush tool, choose a brush, set the Size to a small amount, and begin painting on the canvas.
5.Choose Select ▸ Color Range and paint in a specific color on the canvas.
6.Click on Layer Mask, turn off the layer mask by clicking OK, and add a black & white layer mask on the top layer.
7.Turn on the layer mask by clicking OK, select the Brush tool, and choose a small black brush.
8.Paint with a light touch in the areas you want to blur.
9.Adjust the size of the brush as needed.
10.Repeat steps 4–8 for other colors and layers.
11.Use the Move tool to move the blurry parts of the image to a new location.
12.Click OK in Photoshop.
13.Save your image.