How to Blur Background or Part of Picture [Free Download]

Portrait Mode is all the rage these days. Somehow, photos taken in Portrait mode look like they were taken by a professional photographer instead of a camera phone.

Portrait Mode is just a simple blur effect that shifts the focus onto the subject of the photo. Anyone can achieve the effect - whether they have the right kind of phone or not - by simply learning how to blur a picture.

There are other, more practical reasons you may need to blur a photo as well. In this guide, we will go over how to blur a picture for every possible scenario with an image blurrer on your Windows or Mac computer. We will also explain the different blur effects, blur tools, and offer some helpful tips. So let’s dive in!

• Best Software to Blur a Picture
• Why Would You Blur a Picture?
• What are Different Types of Blur Effects?
• How to Blur a Picture on Desktop
• What are Different Types of Photo Blurring Tools?
• Tips for How to Blur a Picture
• Download the Best Image Blurrer for Free
• How to Blur a Picture FAQ

Best Software to Blur a Picture

PhotoDirector

PhotoDirector is an all-in-one photo editor, image blurrer, and organizer with an incredible selection of blur tools including soft focus, bokeh, and motion blur. It Includes AI-powered tools like deblur, photo effects, advanced color controls, and intuitive layer editing.

Click the button below to download PhotoDirector and start blurring photos like a professional.

Why Would You Blur a Picture?

Before we learn how to blur a picture, let’s go over why to blur a picture. Here are some of the most popular reasons to blur a photo:

To Highlight a Subject

Like the aforementioned Portrait Mode, you can blur the background of a photo to make the subject stand out. This not only shifts focus towards a subject, but it can also serve to shift focus away from a terrible background, like a messy room.

For Privacy

Taking pictures of your kids at school functions and birthday parties can be tricky since you should never post pictures of someone else’s child without permission. Blurring the faces of strangers, kids, or people who just don’t like to appear on social media is always a good idea.

You should always blur your license plate when you take photos of your car, and your address if you take pictures in front of your home. These measures are important to protect your privacy, especially if you have a large following on social media or YouTube.

To Add Motion to an Action Shot

Have you ever taken a picture of someone running and the image looks like they are standing still? A little motion blur tells our minds that the subject is moving quickly - even if they weren’t in actual fact. Think of a poster of Superman with his arms stretched out. Add some motion blur and immediately you know he is flying at the speed of light. Without it, he’s a man wearing a unitard with his hands in the air.

For Artistic Reasons

You may want to blur a photo simply because it looks cool. And really, what better reason is there?

What are Different Types of Blur Effects?

Before you can learn how to blur a picture, you need to understand the types of blur effects available.

Soft Focus

Soft Focus adds a light blur to your photo and implies a shallow depth of field. It focuses on just the part you want to emphasize, leaving the rest of the photo blurred.

Bokeh

Bokeh (from the Japanese word “boke” meaning “blur”) is an out-of-focus blur effect that comes in different shapes: Round, X-shaped, Heart, and Star. Each shape works best for different types of photos. For example, the star shape is good for a glistening effect during lowlighting or night-time shots.

Radial

Radial blur adds a circular motion effect to photos. The blur swirls around the image, implying movement.

Motion Blur

Motion Blur draws focus from the image, giving the perception of speed and motion. This is an excellent way to blur a photo of moving people, animals, or vehicles.

Focal Zoom

Focal Zoom also implies motion, but instead of giving motion to the subject, you imply the motion of the camera or photographer. It appears the photographer was either moving quickly or zooming in fast while taking the shot.

For information on how to blur a picture with an iPhone or Android device, click here.

What are Different Types of Photo Blurring Tools?

Now that you’ve learned how to blur a picture, let’s take a closer look at the blur tools.

There are three options for setting the focal zone: Circular, Linear, and Brush.

Circular

A radial will appear in the center of your image with the Circular blur tool. The inner circle will be in focus. The outer circle shows the gradient range from clear to blurry. Everything outside the circle will be blurred.

Here’s how to blur a picture using the Circular blur tool: click on the red dot at the center of the radial to move it around your image and set the focal area. You can adjust the inner and outer circles as well, so you get everything you need in focus.

Blur types available for Circular Blur are Soft Focus, Bokeh, Radial, Focal Zoom, or Motion Blur.

Linear

With Linear blur, there are a set of lines down the middle of the image, with the middle section in focus. The two outer lines indicated a gradient range. Everything outside the lines will be blurred.

Here’s how to blur a picture using the Linear blur tool: click the red dot in the middle to move the lines up or down or tilt them at an angle. You can also widen the focal range to allow more of the image to be in focus.

When you are satisfied with the focal area and gradient range, unclick the box that says Show Mask to remove the lines so you can preview the photo. You can also use the Compare mode to see the photo before and after adding a blur.

Blur types for Linear blur are Soft Focus, Bokeh, or Motion Blur.

Brush

With the Brush tool, the entire image starts out blurred. The Brush tool gives you complete control over where to blur a photo. For example, you can blur something small, like a license plate in the background, or blur everything but one face in the crowd.

Here’s how to blur a picture with the Brush tool: use the Erase Effect Brush to paint things into focus. Set the size, feather, and intensity of the brush, or use the Restore Effect Brush to add back the blur.

For a quick Portrait Mode effect, use the Object Detection tool that looks like a tree cutout to blur everything but the main subject in the photo.

The Brush tool comes with blur types of Soft Focus, Bokeh, and Motion Blur.

Tips for How to Blur a Picture

Now that you know how to blur a picture, here are some added tips and tricks to follow.

Tip 1: One size does not fit all

There are different blur tools and blur types for a reason. Don’t use the same blur on every picture and expect the same result. You’ve just read about how to blur a picture with the different blur tools. Save yourself time by using the most practical blur tool for your project, then use the time you saved to try out different blur types to find the most aesthetically pleasing.

For instance, if you want to blur the background to highlight your friend standing in front of a statue, the Motion Blur effect would be the wrong choice. It would confuse the viewer into thinking your friend was hopping up and down instead of posing - and possibly take the attention off of the subject.

Tip 2: Use blur in unexpected ways

There are plenty of practical reasons to blur a photo, and often we don’t think about using it unless there is a clear reason. However, blur can also be an artistic tool when added to photos in unexpected ways.

Try adding blur to a cityscape or landscape. Add some pizzazz to all those beach and sunset pictures you took on holiday. With PhotoDirector’s image blurrer, your original image remains untouched, so it won’t hurt to take some risks.

Tip 3: Blur a photo using light effects

In PhotoDirector, Bokeh is also a Light Effect (found under Guided Edits). Just like a regular blur effect, you can choose the blur tool and blur degree. But inside the blur are lights that you can animate to give a twinkling effect. You can choose the shape of the light hits (circles, stars, X-shape, etc), the intensity, the amount, and even the color. This is a fun way to blur a photo taken at night, at Christmas, or any time you want to add a touch of sparkle.

Check out How to Create a Bokeh Effect to learn how to blur a picture with an animated light effect.

Download the Best Image Blurrer for Free

There are many reasons to learn how to blur a picture. And it couldn’t be easier to add professional-looking blur effects with PhotoDirector.

PhotoDirector offers multiple ways to blur a photo. It has various blur tools, styles, and effects with easy-to-use adjustment sliders so you have complete control to apply any strength or amount of blur you wish. You can play around with multiple blur tools for a custom look or use the Object Segmentation tool to adjust your blur effect automatically. You can even blur a photo with animated light effects to wow your friends and followers.

With so many features available, it is surprisingly easy to learn how to blur a picture with PhotoDirector. Download the image blurrer for free below on Mac and Windows and start creating the perfect shots with expertly done blur effects.