How to Fake a Depth of Field in Photoshop

A shallow depth of field is a great way to highlight your subject by defocusing the background. Normally shallow depth of field is achieved with wide aperture ranging between f/2.8 or f/1.4. Longer the lens and closer the subject will give you shallow depth of field.

 

Steps to Fake The Depth of field:-

• Duplicate the Layer by by pressing Ctrl.

 

• Using Quick Selection Tool , Select your subject.You can also use Magic Wand Or Pen tool.

 

• Go to Select -> Inverse to get the Inverse Selection.

 

• Create a new ALPHA CHANNEL and name it ALPHA 1 .

 

• Set the Brush Foreground layer to Default. i.e White.

 

• Hold “Alt” and “Backspace”.This will Fill selected area with WHITE.

 

• Select the RGB Channels panel then select the Duplicate Layer.

 

• Click on FILTER menu and select “LENS BLUR”.

 

• Select the Depth map Source as “ALPHA 1″.

 

• Adjust the value of Radius in between 8 to 12.

 

• Set the Brightness value between 5 to 10.

 

• Check the MONOCHROMATIC checkbox.

 

• Click on OK and then Flatten the Image.