How to get a blurry romantic landscape background?

k.udhay

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Hello,

I saw this pic (attachment) and was amazed by the feel it gave. How can one achieve such a blurry landscape other than the subject. Would it have been done by two layers of one short and the other long exposure? Any way of capturing this in a single shot and process in photoshop to get a similar effect? Thanks.

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I am not familiar with how one would accomplish this in Photoshop, but I have done that in one exposure.

The effect can range from a very subtle blurring to full-blown blur, depending on a few things. The out of focus (OOF) background (and foreground, BTW) can be maximized by the use of one or more of the following:

A lens with a wider aperture. (in the range of f/2.8 to f/ 1.4 for instance)
Adequate distance from the lens to the background. (close to the subject, but with the background farther away)
Larger sensor. (as in; a camera with a larger sensor)
 
You can combine photos taken with a tripod, or you can select the element(s) you don't want to blur and promote them to a new layer and then (Gaussian) blur the background layer. Or you can use a number of other techniques to accomplish the same thing. There are as many ways to reach the same end as there are people to do it. Everyone will have a favorite way and none is the only correct way to get there.
 
The question was how to do it in Photoshop:
Any way of capturing this in a single shot and process in photoshop to get a similar effect? Thanks.
The answer you gave doesn't address the question, but explains DOF in a photograph. I am sure it will be useful to someone though.
That wasn't the only question in post #1.
 
Thanks all...
KmH - I wanted to understand how an image of this type can be achieved:

Studio 31 by Pranesh Photography

This doesn't look to have been achieved by aperture. My guess is the photographer has used a long exposure shot as a background and a regular shot for subject. But the tough challenge would have been to get both subject and background to be of same exposure level. Else, post processing would have been very weird-looking. My core part of the question was to understand how he had come across this problem.
 
That image is most likely a composite. The scenery is a long exposure with a separate exposure of the couple cloned into it. The blur you see is actually motion blur caused by a long shutter speed.
 
Its just what you said 2 pics put together. Its easy to do as you can get proper exposure on each individually then layer them.
 
YES....SParky has it right. Looking at that photog's other images, it's pretty clear he or she is very good at composite images; the one with the newlyweds with the flock of geese flying by at the exact right height, distance, and flight direction...yeah, prettttttty sure that one was two images! (Unless he is a goose-whisperer.)

The beach shot is almost assuredly as sparky describes it: The clouds and water are definitely the result ,of a long, slow exposure, most often achieved with the now popular 10-stop Neutral Density filters (creativity in every filter diameter).
 
YES....SParky has it right. Looking at that photog's other images, it's pretty clear he or she is very good at composite images; the one with the newlyweds with the flock of geese flying by at the exact right height, distance, and flight direction...yeah, prettttttty sure that one was two images! (Unless he is a goose-whisperer.)

The beach shot is almost assuredly as sparky describes it: The clouds and water are definitely the result ,of a long, slow exposure, most often achieved with the now popular 10-stop Neutral Density filters (creativity in every filter diameter).
The op said the same thing in the question. Lol
 
YES....SParky has it right. Looking at that photog's other images, it's pretty clear he or she is very good at composite images; the one with the newlyweds with the flock of geese flying by at the exact right height, distance, and flight direction...yeah, prettttttty sure that one was two images! (Unless he is a goose-whisperer.)

The beach shot is almost assuredly as sparky describes it: The clouds and water are definitely the result ,of a long, slow exposure, most often achieved with the now popular 10-stop Neutral Density filters (creativity in every filter diameter).

So, you're saying this was a composite of two shots or was it likely more than that??? Currently at the beach, and would like to try something similar, while I'm here.
 
Yes, 2 shots, one long for the time blur and one fast to freeze the subjects.
 
Sorry didn't ask question correctly. I've always struggled with beach shots, getting both sky and water/sand correct. Using horizon as the dividing line I'm thinking using three shots. One of subject, one sand/water and one sky. As long as I was relatively close to the same location I'm thinking I could also use different times of day for the sand/water and sky. Am I correct in my thoughts?
 

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