How do you avoid a halo effect

[vlmitchell1]

I can't seem to do a gaussian blur layer without getting halo around the object I am trying to make stand out. I use PS Elements.
See below:



Bear with me ... I'm new at this.
Thanks

[BabetteKD]

vlmitchell1, it seems like you are doing everything on one layer, which is your problem.
Try doing this instead:
1) Have the original picture as the background layer
2) Copy this so it it is the 'first' layer and desaturate this
3) Make a copy of layer 1 (desaturated) and make it invisable for the time being (click the eye)
4) Back on layer 1, add the gaussian blur
5) Layer 2, add a layer mask to this and pain in black the areas that you want to disappear, which will show the blurred layer
6) Go back to the background layer, copy it so it's on top and layer mask out everything but the little girl.
7) Done.

If this is too hard, feel free to send me a private message. I'm slacking off from spring cleaning at the moment.

[wulf]

The problem is that the subject blurs and thus creates a halo. It is much easier when you can create the DoF effect in camera but, when that isn't possible, here is how I avoid the effect.

On the layer that is to be blurred, I use the clone brush to roughly extend the background OVER the subject. You don't need to be perfectly neat (because the blur will cover minor discrepancies) and you don't need to paint out the entire subject but you do need to create a margin that is wider than your blur radius.

Now when you blur the background and overlay the cut out subject, you won't get the halo effect. As a further tip, don't go overboard on the blur, especially with elements that are relatively near. If you want to create a simulated DoF effect rather than looking as if you just pasted the subject on a background, you need to create the illusion that the background gets progressively more blurry as it gets further away. Depending on the scene, you can sometimes do this very effectively with two or three blurry layers rather than just one.

Wulf

[vlmitchell1]

Thank you Wulf and BabetteKD. I really appreciate your responses.
I think I need to take more time to read up on and practice using layers. It is one of those things that really confuses me - for some reason I just can't seem to get a handle on them. I'm going to look for tutorials that actually "show" how to use multiple layers, because when I'm reading along and trying to follow the steps. somehow or other I just make a big ol' mess out of it.
This was one of those shots I had to snap quickly considering my daughter was leaning over a bridge (I cropped it so you don't see my husband - he would have been able to grab her in a second. No children were harmed while in the process of being photographed )I woulmd have liked to have had more DOF but you take what you get sometimes.

[BabetteKD]

Here are some Photoshop video tutorials for layers:

Video Tutes
Photoshop Talent
Digital Pixels

Hope it helps. ♥