Shallow depth of field is often associated with professional portraiture, providing separation between your subject and the background. But what if your lens or shooting conditions didn’t allow for that effect? Lightroom’s Lens Blur tool offers an option to achieve that blurred background look during editing.
Coming to you from Gareth Evans with Park Cameras, this practical video breaks down the Lens Blur tool in Lightroom Classic and how you can use it on your portraits. Evans demonstrates how the tool uses depth mapping to analyze the distance between elements in an image and applies a blur effect accordingly. He explains how Lightroom identifies your subject automatically and creates a depth map with colors representing varying distances. For example, objects closest to the camera might appear yellow, transitioning to purple as they recede. The tool’s ability to calculate depth and apply blur selectively makes it effective for images with some existing separation between the subject and background.
Evans emphasizes when to use this feature and when to skip it. Images with natural depth tend to look natural when blur is added. On the other hand, applying the effect to a wide angle shot with no initial depth can feel forced or artificial. The video also touches on manual adjustments, like using a brush to refine blur areas or correct mistakes, which can help salvage images where the automated tool struggles.
Another notable aspect is the control over the intensity of the blur. You can adjust the slider to enhance the effect, but Evans cautions against overdoing it, as excessive blur can make the image look unnatural. He also briefly covers bokeh adjustments and why, in most cases, keeping it subtle is the better choice. The overall focus is on using the tool to enhance existing depth rather than creating a completely artificial look.
The video includes examples that show the tool’s strengths and limitations. For instance, an image with defined depth and a clear subject demonstrates the tool’s capabilities, while a wider shot reveals its constraints. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Evans.
