The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers- P10:This new book, from Photoshop User magazine editor and bestselling author Scott Kelby, starts at the moment your digital camera photos come into Photoshop, and he shows you the Photoshop pros techniques for managing, correcting, retouching and outputting your photos to knock your client's socks off, and turn you into a Photoshop production wizard. | The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers Adding Depth of Field This is a digital way to create the classic in-camera depth of field effect and thanks to Photoshop s Quick Mask it s easy to pull off. Of course for this technique to be effective you have to start with the right photo one that would benefit from a depth of field effect. Close-up photos of people are ideal as are product shots as long as they re not shot straight on or if they are they need to have a detailed background behind them. Step One Open rhe photo on which you want to apply a depth oi field effect. Switch to Quick Mask mode by pressing the letter q . Step Two Get the Gradient tool from the Toolbox and press the Return key PC Enter key to make the Gradient Picker appear within your image area. Double-click on the third gradient in the picker the Black to White gradient to choose it. Step Three Click the Gradient tool on your photo starting m the area you want to remain in focus and then dragging toward the area you want to appear out of focus. 256 Chapter 8 Photographic Special Effects The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers Step Four Since you re in Quick Mask mode you ll see a red-to-transparenr gradient appear onscreen. Step Five Press the letter q again to leave Quick Mask and return to Standard mode. You ll see the selection you created in Quick Mask mode appear within your image area. NOTE If the selected area in your image is the opposite of what is shown here double-click on the Quick Mask icon just below the Color Swatches in the Toolbox to bring up the Quick Mask Options dialog. Under Color Indicates choose Masked Areas. Click OK to enter Quick Mask mode and hen redraw your gradient. Gaussian Blur Step Six Go under the Filter menu under Blur and choose Gaussian Blur. When the dialog appears enter the amount of blur you d like for the farthest point in your image then click OK. Although you see a hard selection within your image area it s actually a smooth blend from full blur
