bokeh effect

[Trisha Ford]

Can anyone help me create a bokeh effect in photoshop? I've been trying for two hours with absolutely no progress. I am completely new to Photoshop but desperate!

[MattyB]

I don't know how to do it in photoshop, but here is a short list for getting the effect in camera. ] http://www.photoble.com/photography-tips-tricks/how-to-7-quick-tips-to-create-bokeh-with-digital-camera/

[r nelly]

@tford you can use a plugin called Alien Skin Bokeh...it lets you choose which lens to get the simulated bokeh from. :)

[Sam C-R]

i've never matched it in photoshop... heres a whole topic about doing it from your DSLR that i started... http://365project.org/discuss/tips-n-tricks/3356/boken-kit-home-made

[Sue Beatty]

Trisha, it's better to do it in camera by changing your dof. However, you can use overlays/textures that give you a similar effect. If you're talking about the blurring in photoshop, you have to select what you want blurred and then give it a glausian blur - but honestly it doesn't look like great bokeh. I've never tried alien skin that Arnel suggested but it's so easy to do in camera I'm not sure I'd spend the money on it.

[Ashler]

Not sure that it'll be much help but all my best tutorials I've been able to follow/replicate successfully have been on youtube. Have you tried there yet?

[Vikdaddy]

isn't it easier just to do it in-camera?

[Big Mac]

it's easier to do in camera... i swear! =) from auto to manual lens setting is what i do... hihihihi since i only use the kit lens.. hahahaha

[Nod]

rather do it in camera...

[Amy Evans]

Ok everyone here is right, its best from your camera. My 50mm 1.8 produces wonderful bokeh. Its the smaller number that does it, the aperture. The wider it opens, the better bokeh. Now if you already have a photo that doesn't have bokeh in it that you want a bokeh layer over it, you can google free bokeh textures. There are several people on deviant art that offer their bokeh pictures as stock for you to use. Then you bring that in as a new layer into your pic in photoshop, and play with the blending modes and opacity until you get the feel you want. My favorite thing is to take a picture of only bokeh and use my own picture as a layer over the top of another. I have tons of these examples on my albums if you want to look and see if that's what you mean. If you have any phtoshop questions about layers and blending modes, feel free to ask, I know lots of us on here can help with that! Good luck!

[Angela]

I agree with everyone that in camera is the easiest way to get it. But I know that I have done it in PSE... Sort of. I made the background really blurry but not sure if it would be true "bokeh" if that makes any sense. I basically selected what I wanted to be in focus, selected inverse and then did the blur more thing in PSE. Worked. But the best thing is to just do it in camera, a lot less post processing and a lot prettier :)

[Trisha Ford]

@amyhughes Thanks for the advice Amy! Your photos were exactly the type of effect that I am after. I will have to give it a try. Your work is stunning!