Lens Blur in Photoshop and Lightroom

In this video, we deep dive into Lens Blur, a newer feature of LIghtroom and Photoshop's Camera Raw filter. As usual, I take a practical approach with real images that show you the good and bad, as well as some of the potential pitfalls of this tool.
Subscribe for editing tips and behind-the-scenes videos as well as community contests and free giveaways:
www.patreon.com/WildlifeInspired
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best noise reduction and sharpening software: topazlabs.com/...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MT FAVORITE GEAR
Nikon Z9: bhpho.to/3rM9O7A
Nikon 400mm 2.8 Z: bhpho.to/3tj806y
Nikon 105mm macro: bhpho.to/3NngzVI
Laowa 25mm ultra macro: bhpho.to/3F405g7
Leofoto monopod: bit.ly/46xfQYE
Robus Tripod: bhpho.to/46eAQn3
Promedia Gear Tomahawk (monopod gimbal): tinyurl.com/4v...
Promedia Katana Jr (tripod gimbal): tinyurl.com/yj...
Leofoto fluid head: bit.ly/3ZFtRB8
AK Diffuser: akdiffuser.com... (COUPON CODE skeys5 for more savings)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shopping for any of these brands? Use these links:
B&H (my online source with great delivery and service): bhpho.to/41vuugj
Promedia Gear: www.promediagear.com?aff=36
Leofoto: leofotousa.com...

[@colorist_tommy4247]

great presentation. Concise and Precise. No Stuttering No repetition. very well done.

[@michaeldreese4979]

I had encountered all of the issues you highlighted in the video but was not sure how to correct for them. You really explained the pros and cons of the software in an easy to understand manner with excellent case studies. Well done!

[@mladenerak]

"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", love it. Great video, thanks.

[@juliangreen3472]

Thank you, great video answered all my questions 👍

[@judicarvell1049]

Very informative! Thanks!

[@Wklambert]

Oh wow... So, now we have the ability to select on depth as well as luminosity?? (among others, odlf course, but I use luminosity masks more than any other.) This is huge. Thank you Scott for this video. I'm going to go try this right now!!

[@WildlifeInspired]

Have fun!

[@cathyklimes1289]

Thank you for details on new additions. Excellent for those of us learning photoshop and lightroom from start to finish.

[@WildlifeInspired]

My pleasure!

[@Chris_Wolfgram]

So I think it’s pretty similar, but I’ve been using a feature in PS CS6, in the Neural Filters tab called Depth Blur. It does pretty much exactly what you have shown here. Sometimes the results are fantastic, and I’ll run with it. Other times they suck, and I just don’t use it. However, the very first step for my cRAW photos (after culling) is, I run them through DXO Pure RAW, and so by the time I’m doing this, my bird itself, and the BG are already 90 to 100% noise free anyway. So I never see a point in which I have a noisy bird, and a clean BG.

[@lisamarie7527]

Super informative Scott! You explained things perfectly. Really enjoyed your comparisons. Fantastic as always.

[@sarahbatsford4791]

Fabulous tutorial and now makes sense. So grateful.

[@KristenSmith]

Nice overall look at this feature - good job. Most of the time I use Ps to do this and work with layers to paint in the effect around those wispy bits like fur and feathers. I find that the tool in Lr is a bit more of a cudgel when applying the effect and so I don't use it there except in the most rudimentary way. Tony Kuyper has also added some additional ways to tweak this in Photoshop if you have the TK9 plug in. Yeah, it's fiddly, but if you work with layers you'll know how to quickly dial in the amount of the effect you want. Keep up the good work!

[@AlphaZuluPhotography]

I’ve been enjoying this new feature and my results are about the same. Needs a really defined subject but when it works it’s pretty neat!

[@LourdesVenard]

Thanks for this comprehensive look. I tried the blur tool, but it changed some of the feathers at the edge. So now I know a bit more about how to work with it.

[@WildlifeInspired]

Glad it was helpful!

[@HotGates]

Great tut, Adobe blows the competition into the weeds.

[@maranoblet]

Fascinating Video, really useful info. Unfortunately for me, I live in North East England so I get a lot of overcast, heavy overcast or rainy days so shooting in diffuse light should mean better images for certain subjects but I cannot afford the larger aperture glass. Curious if you had no choice but to be shooting at 5.6/6.3/8.0 what would your accceptable max iso be?

[@CelebratingOutdoors]

IMHO, and it is an opinion that leans quite humble ... your nitpicking over the top, IF your image is truly about the subject, and the experience of sharing your encounter with a beautiful feathered friend. The miniscule difference may mean something relevant to people other than those who are thumbing through tens of images on social media looking to connect with the experience of your image vs its surgically technical presentation. If your image strikes a connection with a viewer, the minute microscope detail doesn't realy matter.

[@ryanwalker1123]

Thank you for this incredible review going over the good and the bad. I tested the lens blur a little bit myself and I tested it on an Egret that I photographed in the rain. When using the lens blur, the software would also blur out the rain, and even remove it if you had the slider too high. This seems to go with your statement of removing the finer details in an image. I am intrigued to see how this software improves in the future regarding these finer details.

[@WildlifeInspired]

Thanks for sharing!

[@andycoleman2708]

Fantastic explanation and demonstration. I'm sure it's not possible, but it would be cool if LR gave you an aperture number that the blur was "achieving"

[@WildlifeInspired]

That would be cool ! seems that 100% is about 1 stop of aperture change but that a ballpark.

[@mikej9564]

Great learning experience. Where is the point when editing a photo, that it crosses the disqualification line for competition?

[@WildlifeInspired]

basically digital manipulation and AI usage. Changes to luminance (brightness), modest hue, saturation and light dodging and burning are considered okay. TO MOST! But it is somewhat subjective.

[@hubertcole1645]

Did not find any thing additionally in patreon

[@WildlifeInspired]

patreon release out Saturday!

[@simonstuart6944]

Wow I’m sure glad I have lenses that do this automatically 😂

[@robertkaplan2833]

Scott, I love this feature but my 6 year old PC freezes sometimes. What are the specs of your Mac or PC?

[@WildlifeInspired]

Oh boy. Without looking the intel processor is 3 years old and the system has 32gig ram and an mid level nvidia graphics card. Not sure if that helps.

[@bigbigsquid]

Excellent! 🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰,s! (five bunnies is top score)

[@dicekolev5360]

Jeezuz who have time for all that... ever aince I have Z gear I totally left the laptop/PC editing and do it all only on my Samsung phone from 2020 - all my videos/reels frkm z9, dji Air2s, z6ii, GoPro... only phone and I'm doing fine as I'm tired or years of wastig time editing stuff that have zero sense. We give thousands of money for these lenses and bodies and makes zero sense to edit it all to extreme. I know that is not the point of this tutorial but that's where this software makes us go... Love your time and effort to your videos as always! 🥂

[@jonathansmithies]

I feel quite strongly that adding lens blur in photoshop is cheating, especially as a wildlife photographer. Capturing good bokeh in camera requires practice, skill, understanding of composition and learning to see through the subject. Lens blur IMO is for lazy photographers who don’t want to put in the time and effort to get the best results in the field 😂

[@WildlifeInspired]

But how do you really feel😂

[@jonathansmithies]

@@WildlifeInspired lol it's a great tool to know how to use, but I think depending on how it's used, it can undervalue the effort and time certain photographers put in to getting the same results in the field

[@tomdearie5165]

Thank goodness that when I walk into the field with my 400mm f/2.8 I’ve spent enough cash and I’m carrying enough massive brute-force engineering to make sure I’m not cheating. 😊 Wait… that didn’t come out right. 🤔 Just kidding. As photographers and artists, all our work is a conveyance. The lenses, paint brushes and software are just tools to bridge the gap bewteen ourselves and our audience. What matters is the essence of what we’re trying to convey and whether it evokes something meaningful in that audience. I love the big glass but, moreso I love what I’m trying to capture and convey with it. If someone uses skill with software to hone their work to better stir me and instill a sense of wonder and joy, then I’m ok with that. Still - the big 400mm f/2.8 definitely impresses girls more than my expertise with unsharp mask. Go figure. 😎

[@withvinayak]

I partly agree with your statement OP. My take is not all can afford f2.8 or f4 lenses. Most affordable telephoto lenses are in the f6.3-f8 category. So this feature would help them in scenarios like this.

[@iqueque]

It also requires expensive and heavy lenses. So if you are wealthy and strong, you’re set to win the prizes. The rest of us just need to be happy to capture images that please us.