Adding a gradient blur to image

Hi,

For the first time, I'm trying to 'non-destructively' edit an image. I've successfully adjusted levels by adding an adjustment layer, which wasn't particularly difficult.

However, now I want to blur part of the image (to artificially change the depth of field). I selected the area I want to blur and tried creating a channel, and tried adding a vector mask, but I'm really not sure what I'm doing. When I apply a gradient and select blur, I don't see any blurring happening.

I've had a read of the online manual, particularly Blur, Transparency and Gradients, but can't understand enough to get a successful outcome. If someone could point me in the right direction I would be most grateful.

If the advice is to RTFM, please give me an idea what other topics I should be looking at and I'll be more than happy to work it out for myself.

I've included links to 2 images. One showing the image in photoshop and the layers I currently have. In the other image I've highlighted in blue the area I wish to blur - as a gradient, where the blur is less at the bottom and stronger at the top.

BTW, I am using a Pentium4, WinXP, 1MB RAM and PS CS2.

Thanks in advance,

Steven

Bluring the extra channel will not change the image, it will just blur the chanel.

There is no way to blur an image non-destructively.

Make a duplicate layer and blur that, the use layer masks (on the blurred layer) to hide the parts you don't want blurred

Steven, as CN said, you need another layer. Here's one way to do that: on the original layer, select the area to be blurred, then press Ctrl-J to copy that onto its own layer (Layer 1).

Blur Layer 1 to your liking, then add a Layer Mask to it. Select the black-to-white Gradient tool and drag it upward over the part of the image to be blurred. That should do it.

Thanks to you both. I'm at work at the moment but I'll give it a go later today.

BTW, Do you know of any online tutorials that explain in more detail how to use adjustment layers, etc?

Cheers,

Steven

BTW, Do you know of any online tutorials that explain in more detail how to use adjustment layers, etc?

Personally no, I have never used an online tutorial in my life, I much prefer to live dangerously and experiment (plus I spend way too much time in this forums, it's amazing the stuff you can pick up from the folks around here)

Hi Joe, CN.

Well, here's my effort.

It's what I wanted, and it worked exactly as you suggested.

Thanks again,

Steven

Looks good, Steven. Why don't you try doing the same thing to the grass in the foreground, with a lesser amount of blur. I think that could make it look more like you shot it at f:2 or so.

I love tutorials because that's the way I learn best (I'm not very creative). But I've not tried any tutorials for adjustment layers. I Googled "photoshop adjustment layers tutorials" and came up with about 274,000 hits. You might give a few of those a try.

Thanks Joe,

I'll give the extra foreground blur a go.

I'm not a big fan of searching for things like tutorials - you can spend hours wading through a whole lot of rubbish sites, when often, someone else knows of a real goldmine. Guess I'd better get my waders on...