How to create the LensBaby effect in Photoshop 2007 05 14

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I will be the first to say right away that this technique does not exactly replicate what Lensbabies can achieve. In fact I discovered this technique without even having Lensbabies in my mind, but instead later realized there are some similarities. Anyway, lets jump into the tutorial. I am using a 8mp JPG photo and Adobe Photoshop CS2. Open your photograph file and create a duplicate layer. I do this by clicking on the Background layer and dragging it to the "Create a new layer" icon in the layer palette.


Next, we need to increase the size of the canvas. Go to "Image > Canvas size". Adjust your settings like in the screen shot. Remember to use the unit percentage. I have found 130% to be the best setting.

 

 



Now we start on the magic. Go to "Filter > Distort > Polar Coordinates...", select Polar to rectangle and then click OK. What you should have now is a crazy looking image like the one in the screen shot. Now we need to apply the blur. Go to "Filter > Blur > Motion blur...". This is were taste comes into play. I use this for a very dramatic effect, so I use a strong blur here, but you may need to repeat this step a number of times to get the look you want, feel free to use my settings. Keep in mind that I used a 8mp photo for this tutorial. Also, remember to set the angle to -90, use the screen shot as a reference.


Now lets start to put the photo back together. Go to "Filter > Distort > Polar Coordinates...", select Rectangle to polar. You should have something similar to the screen shot.


Now lets make this layer a mask, to do this click the "Add layer mask" icon in the layer palette, use the screen shot for reference.


Next select the "Elliptical marquee" tool from the tools palette and set the feather to 250px. Look at the screen shot for reference.


The goal here is to blend this blur effect into a focused area, obviously the focal point of the photo. It's easy in my example as this is a portrait and the face is the focal point. So, make a selection covering your focal point, leaving room for the effect to show around the edges. Take a look at the screen shot to see what I did.


Hit the "Backspace" key when you are happy with your selection. Hit it again if you want to expand the opening a little more. The last step is to crop the photo and get rid of all the extra outline pieces we don't want anymore. Since we used a layer mask, we could go in and adjust the effect a little more quite easily by using the "Brush tool" located in the tools palette. Then you would just simply paint over the areas you don't want the effect to cover. And that's it, have fun!



Tags for this article

photographylensbabiestutoriallensbabyphotoshop

Comments

tamsin2008 03 13I first saw the very same tut on ehow.com, but have the same problem as meg in that when I hit the backspace, nothing happens. I too have CS3.

meg2007 11 04when i hit backspace, nothing happens? any suggestions? I have CS3 extended

N Hart2007 07 19I can't wait to try this method. Just what Ihave been looking for. Thanks for your efforts.

bhargav2007 06 05gfgfg

NA2007 05 21cfr... when you do the first distort... you want to select polar to rectangle... then on the second time back to distort you put in back to rectangle to polar... cj... i was having the same problem... i dont have an answer but i just kept making bigger circles... then it would auto size a cirle for me... then i placed that cirle to my main area... remember you can hit backspace more than once to give more focused area...hope this help someone... i would like to know the read reason behing the warning pop up...

NA2007 05 21cfr... when you do the first distort... you want to select polar to rectangle... then on the second time back to distort you put in back to rectangle to polar... cj... i was having the same problem... i dont have an answer but i just kept making bigger circles... then it would auto size a cirle for me... then i placed that cirle to my main area... remember you can hit backspace more than once to give more focused area...hope this help someone... i would like to know the read reason behing the warning pop up...

CJ2007 05 18When I get to this part "The goal here is to blend this blur effect into a focused area, obviously the focal point of the photo. It's easy in my example as this is a portrait and the face is the focal point. So, make a selection covering your focal point, leaving room for the effect to show around the edges. Take a look at the screen shot to see what I did" my photoshop tells me this "warning: No pixels are more than 50% selected. The selection edges will not be visible." Then I click okay and nothing happens.

cfr2007 05 16When I do the step before the mask: "Go to "Filter > Distort > Polar Coordinates...", select Rectangle to polar. You should have something similar to the screen shot."mine looks completely different, it comes out basically looking like the original picture, but blured and with a black(background color) oval around it...following steps exactly, tried it several times with same results. any advice?

Mr. Nicora2007 05 16Fernando, I think it was Helvetica Condensed Medium 65, I didn't save the PSD so I couldn't be 100% sure with out comparing, but I'm too lazy for that.

julio2007 05 16me parece un exelente programa

Fernando2007 05 16Which font did u use to write Before and After in last image?

Mr. Nicora2007 05 16I posted this tut because there are visual diferences between this method and the one you describe, which I have also seen tuts for. I figured since it was original (I think) I may as well post it. Thanks for taking a look!

deanr2012007 05 16nice effect, but if you dupliucated the layer, applied a radial blur with zoom settings, you get nearly the same result.after increasing contrast via the levels, the result is almost had to tell the difference.Good tut, i like to see new ways of doing things :)

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