Making Moves

Blur filters can add depth and movement to your design. I really love this tool and I wanted to utilize it in a unique way this week. I have two separate blur effects within this post, the first one being the picture above. I took this picture in New York City, it is a graveyard connected to a Catholic Church. There is something special about this picture already. The graveyard is beautiful, in a way. The headstones are old and rustic while the flowers are blooming and colorful. I wanted to add to this with a lens blur. I selected the flower that stood out most to me and selected it using the magnetic lasso. Then, I inverse selected and modified the image to 'feather'. I selected the lens blur and adjusted to the settings I felt appropriate. It is easy to add some symbolism to this photo. Singling out a blooming flower in a graveyard easily provokes emotion. 

I took this picture on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. I let my American pride get to me with this design. I used a radial blur to create my area in focus, the American flag. This was quick and painless to do. I simply clicked 'filter' and then 'blur'. I choose the 'zoom' method and it gave the image a moving effect. To single out the American flag, I had to create a layer mask and lower the opacity. I used the paint tool to to color over the American flag. I increased the opacity and finalized this design.