How to Blur Background in Lightroom?

Is your camera good enough to hide some details while focusing on the main objects in the same photo? If your answer is yes, then congratulations. You are using a good camera. But if your answer is no, you don’t need to worry.

Blurring your image’s background or some areas of the image in Lightroom MOD APK is an amazing way to make the subjects prominent. The main purpose of background blur is to highlight a specific part or main object in an image.

Lightroom software offers its users intelligent tools to perform any photo editing activity like any other premium quality software. In this article, we will discuss how to blur the background in an image with the help of Lightroom tools and features. By the end of this case study, you will be able to blur the background from your photos.

Why Do We Blur the Background From Images?

Before knowing the complete process of making the background blur, it is important to develop an understanding of why we need to blur the image’s background. Here are some reasons that will clear your vision about this

• To focus on the main subject
• To minimize the distractions for the main object
• To provide a more professional look to your images
• To highlight the key details in the image
• To increase the depth and dimension of the photo
• To focus on emotions in your images
• To add an artistic look to the photos
• To hide the unattractive and unwanted materials in the background
• To navigate the viewer’s attention to a particular area of the photo
• To copy the effect of using a camera with a wide lens opening, which makes only the subject clear and the background blurry.

Some Effective Methods to Blur the Background in Lightroom

Lightroom is a proud product of Adobe Inc. and is a premium-quality photo editing software that provides you with multiple options to blur the background of your images. Let us explore some of the methods to blur the background.

Method # 1: By Using Brush Tool

• First of all, you need to import images and then direct them towards the Develop Module that is present at the top of your screen.
• In the next step, apply the mask to the areas of the image that you want to make blur. To perform this, open the ‘Brush Panel’ and any suitable preset brush effect.
• From this brush panel, you have to select ‘Show Selected Mask’ and start painting the area that you want to blur. Now, the painted area will appear in red, and you can easily control and choose the area where you want to apply the blur effect.
• In the last but most important step, you need to tune up the blurry effect by making adjustments in the value of clarity and sharpness. After getting the required result of the blur effect, do not forget to save the changes.

Method # 2: By Using Radial Gradient

If your main object is in a circular shape then this method is the most suitable option for making the background blur from the image. Just follow the given steps to get perfect results.

• Like the previous method, start the process by importing your images into Lightroom or opening them if they’re already in the catalog. During perform this activity, make sure you select images with oval or circular shapes.
• In the next step, go to the Develop Module and now choose the Radial Filter instead of the Brush tool. You will see the Radial Filter next to the Brush tool, which is present in the second position from the right.
• As we have discussed before, this Radial Gradient tool in Lightroom works best for circular or oval-shaped subjects. Click on the center of your subject and drag the mouse outside to make a circle around it.
• Refine the edges of your selection with the help of your mouse. If you’re having trouble adjusting it, there might be a reason that you didn’t select the exact center of the subject, so reposition the central pin to balance it.
• In this step, you have to refine the transition area by using the ‘Feather’ slider. You can do this by simply adjusting the slider left or right will either increase or decrease the smoothness of the transition area.
• In the last step, to blur the background using radial gradients, move the Sharpness slider to the left. This reduces sharpness, effectively blurring the background.

Method # 3: By Using Linear Gradient

Linear Gradient is my personal best and most effective way to blur the background as it provides more control than the other two methods. Additionally, this method is simple and easy to use which is why a majority of photographers and professionals prefer to use this method to blur the background from their images. You only need to follow the given steps to perform this method.

• Select the ‘Linear Gradient’ from the toolbar option that is present on the right side. Now, draw the lines across the area where you want to apply blur.
• In the next step, you need to adjust the different settings like size, position, and, most importantly, feature liny by using their dedicated sliders.
• By using Effective Panel, reduce the clarity and sharpness from -50 to -100; this will blur the chosen area from the image.

How to Create Background Blur Effect in Lightroom Mobile?

If you want to blur the background of your images by using Lightroom’s mobile version, you have to follow the given steps:

• Like any other method here, also you need to import the image from which you want to apply the blur effect.
• Make sure you have opened the ‘Edit Mode’ of the Lightroom app.
• Now, differentiate the main object from the area by using the Masking tool, which you can find in the tool panel in the right corner of the bottom of the Lightroom screen.
• After opening Mask Mode, push the + icon to generate a new mask, which is present at the right corner of the bottom of the Lightroom screen.
• After clicking the + icon, you will find options like selecting a subject, choosing the sky, and using tools like Brush, Radial Gradient, and Linear Gradient.
• Now, you have to select the ‘Select Subject’ option to focus the elements in the image.
• If there are multiple subjects or focus elements in the image, or if the selection is complex, you can use the “Brush” tool to manually paint the mask over the specific area of the image that you wish to blur.
• If you want to blur the background, you should reverse your mask layer so that it only impacts the background.
• When everything is completed, push the ‘Detail’ button and modify the ‘Sharpness’ and ‘Noise’ with the help of their sliders to generate the blur effect in the background.
• In the final step, do not forget to save your image in Adobe Lightroom’s cloud storage, or you can share it on different forums.

Some Useful Tips while Applying Blurring the Background

• Use a Radial Filter for circular blur.
• Use the Brush tool for precise control.
• Adjust Feather for smooth transitions.
• Decrease Sharpness for making background blur.
• I prefer to use Linear Gradient for larger areas.
• Always take a preview and make changes to maintain focus.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Over-blurring the background causes disturbance in the image.
• Ignoring the edges of the subject
• Applying blur unevenly across the image
• Forgetting to use the Feather tool
• Not balancing blur with subject clarity
• Using an incorrect filter for the subject
• Using too small a brush size
• Blurring the subject by mistake
• Skipping fine-tuning the blur effect
• Forgetting to adjust the transition area

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, blurring the background with the help of the Lightroom app is a simple but very powerful technique. It helps users focus on the main subject, provides a more professional look, and directs the viewer’s attention to a specific part of the photos.

In this article, we have seen Lightroom offers multiple options for attaining blurry effects in the images, especially the Radial Gradient method and Linear radiant methods are very effective. In the end, I must say, with regular practice, you can master this skill and take your photo editing to the next level.