'Depth of Field' option in PE10

[fozzybear]

Just having a mess about with the 'Depth of Field' option in Photoshop Elements 10.

Before

After

Does anyone know the best way to avoid the 'smearing' around certain edges like the horses head and ears? I use the quick selection tool with a small 20px brush but can't seem to avoid selecting a bit of the sky.

Although the effect looks OK, some edges look a little bit artificial. Still, it could be useful for anyone using 'lesser' lens.

 

[Ksanti]

It effectively works by applying a gaussian blur, the problem with that is that around edges you inevitably start getting bits of the in-focus object smeared into the background. You can get around it if you manually fill in bits of the blurred area on another layer over where the edges are. It can work to an extent but I'm not aware of any more automated way of doing it

 

[fozzybear]

Just found a video that may help me.

 

[James J]

Theres a program on the mac store (if you use a mac!) which does this automatically for you by detecting edges, yet I haven't used it myself and have no real knowledge of how its done sadly!

 

[D.P.]

Ignoring the edges which are ruined, the effect is just plain nasty, seemingly applying a Gaussian blur. Yuck.

 

[An Exception]

Hurts my eyes...

 

[Damnations Fury]

Looks unnatural compared to it done properly.

 

[Nexus]

Personally I'd say that you have to just weigh up whether you can improve a photo or whether what you are doing is a lot of work to overhaul it when it doesn't really improve it.

I think the photo suffers from composure to begin with.
You really don't want that guy's head in the background, even if you had shot with a lens that gave you a wide aperture to really blow it out, it would still be distracting.

Secondly, you've tried to make a foreground element part of the background, in way of the reigns and the lady holding it. Not only does that totally ruin the photo, its again another aspect of a problem with the initial composure, you either needed her completely out of it, or framed her as part of the shot.

Sorry if I'm being negative and you are just playing about with this filter, but at the end of the day, you seem to be trying to fix the photo with it.

 

[fozzybear]

Personally I'd say that you have to just weigh up whether you can improve a photo or whether what you are doing is a lot of work to overhaul it when it doesn't really improve it.

I think the photo suffers from composure to begin with.
You really don't want that guy's head in the background, even if you had shot with a lens that gave you a wide aperture to really blow it out, it would still be distracting.

Secondly, you've tried to make a foreground element part of the background, in way of the reigns and the lady holding it. Not only does that totally ruin the photo, its again another aspect of a problem with the initial composure, you either needed her completely out of it, or framed her as part of the shot.

Sorry if I'm being negative and you are just playing about with this filter, but at the end of the day, you seem to be trying to fix the photo with it.

I wasn't posting the photo to showcase my photography skills or lack of them.

What is this 'composure' you speak of?

I've just picked a random photo out to experiment with PE10. I think I took it about 3 years ago with a Sony kit lens that was incapable of producing any respectable bokeh.

And yes, the initial purpose of trying out the 'depth of field' setting was to make the mans appearance less 'obvious'.

 

[Nexus]

What is this 'composure' you speak of?

It's a special thing you get when you try and type a word on an iPad and it gives you something else!

And yes, the initial purpose of trying out the 'depth of field' setting was to make the mans appearance less 'obvious'.

Its made him less obvious, but damaged other areas of the photo, would you agree?