Photo Grid App Example

[knowoneuno]

I really like the results when I use the Photo Grid app and it takes the image and makes a duplicate layer and then blurs that layer for the background of it.

How would you do this in Photoshop and how would you also bevel the edges of the sharp photo, where it is smoother?

Thanks!

 

[IamSam]

Very easy.

Open your original image.
Duplicate the original image twice (2)
Name the top duplicate layer "Original Girl 2"
Name the one below the top duplicate layer "Original Girl 1"
Turn the Original/background layer off.

Select/Highlight the "Original Girl 2" layer
Choose your Crop Tool
Hold down the Opt/Alt key and drag either of the side handles away from the center.
Drag until happy with the margin.


Hit enter or the tick/check mark to accept the state change.
Should now look like this.......


Turn off the "Original girl 2" layer.
Select/Highlight the "Original Girl 1" layer.
Right click in the body of the layer and select "Convert to smart object".
Then hit Cmd/Cntrl + T to enter free transform.
Hold the shift + opt/alt key and mouseclick and drag any of the corner handles.
Drag until your happy with the size. (don't worry, you can always readjust this again later)


Hit enter or the tick/check mark to accept the state change.
Turn the "Original Girl 2" layer on again.
Should look like this......


Select/Highlight the "Original Girl 1" layer.
Go to FILTER > BLUR > GAUSSIAN BLUR


Set your blur to 100 hit OK.


Your canvas should now look like this.......


Now for the edge softening.
Select/Highlight the "Original Girl 2" layer
Add a layer mask to this layer by hitting the "add layer mask" icon located at the bottom left of the layers panel.
Choose your Gradient Tool
Set to linear gradient.
Set the Gradient Tools preset to "foreground to transparent".
Set your foreground color to black.
Create/drag gradients on both sides of the image for the softening. Click close to the edge and drag inwards. You may have to do this several times.
Hold down the shift key to keep the gradient straight.



Layers panel.

 

[knowoneuno]

I missed a step at the start. When I did what you told me to do, I did not end up with the checkerboard pattern to start with. What step did I miss? When I cropped, it just cropped it without the checkerboard pattern on both sides of the crop.

 

[IamSam]

I missed a step at the start. When I did what you told me to do, I did not end up with the checkerboard pattern to start with. What step did I miss?

I've checked the steps thoroughly and if you followed the steps exactly, you didn't miss anything. Your transparency settings may be different than mine, otherwise I'm not sure. The important question is how it turned out.

You may want to post a screenshot of your layers panel and the canvas.

 

[knowoneuno]

Here is the first screen shot, plus, how do you get your transparency settings the way your's are? I also on't see a way to crop from the inside to the outside either.

 

[IamSam]

You need to set your Crop Tool like mine..........

 

[knowoneuno]

I changed it, the crop tool to your's and followed the instructions. Still not getting the same results.

Two Screen Shots.

Thank you for trying to teach me this process, I appreciate your time and effort.

 

[IamSam]

You are not following my instructions at all. In your screenshot I see that you have two layers turned off and you should only have the background layer turned off. You should have the "Original Girl 2" layer selected/Highlighted.
The layer your trying to edit is a smart object! You don't do this step until later.


Please delete this document and start from scratch. Follow the instructions step by step.

 

[IamSam]

Open your original image.
Duplicate the original image twice (2)
Name the top duplicate layer "Original Girl 2"
Name the one below the top duplicate layer "Original Girl 1"
Turn the Original/background layer off.

Select/Highlight the "Original Girl 2" layer
Choose your Crop Tool
Hold down the Opt/Alt key and drag either of the side handles away from the center.
(This image shows the side handles)

Drag until happy with the margin.
Hit enter or the tick/check mark to accept the state change.



Works perfectly every time!

 

[knowoneuno]

Thanks for your help!
Still not seeing the layer which I stretched.

 

[IamSam]

Still not seeing the layer which I stretched.

Your not stretching a layer at this point of the tutorial, your expanding the canvas.

You just re-posted the same screenshot as you did in post #7

Start from scratch and follow the instructions in post #9. Post a new screenshot of your progress.

 

[knowoneuno]

Started all over and here are the two screen shots. First one is where I was about to crop the Original Girl 2 and the second one is after I cropped it.

 

[IamSam]

Please follow directions.

Hold down the Opt/Alt key and drag either of the side handles away from the center.

You are not reading the instructions.........

 

[knowoneuno]

I finally understood all the steps and followed them as best as I could.
I'm down to the last step with the gradients and I don't understand that part. The part about dragging the gradients. When I tried it, the entire image became blurry.

 

[IamSam]

With the "Original Girl 2" layer selected
And the layer mask selected.
Choose the Gradient Tool
Set to linear gradient.
Set the Gradient Tools preset to "foreground to transparent".
Set your foreground color to black.

Look at the supplied diagram below!!!!
Hold down the shift key to keep the gradient straight. Click and drag a gradient starting on the left side yellow X located on the Left GL 1, and drag towards the center (red arrows indicate direction) to the Left GL 2 then stop (release click). You may have to do this several times.

Next......

Hold down the shift key to keep the gradient straight. Click and drag a gradient starting on the Right side yellow X located on the Right GL 1, and drag towards the center (red arrows indicate direction) to the Right GL 2 then stop (release click). You may have to do this several times.

 

[knowoneuno]

Which linear do I use? I don't have just a "normal" linear function in the choices I see from the screen shot I am posting.

No matter which one I try and I am in the layer mask, the entire "top" image, Layer 2 becomes blurred.

 

[IamSam]

We are not using the Blending mode options, otherwise I would have stated, "change the Gradient Tools blending mode to Linear Light".

I have clearly stated from the beginning........

Post #2

Set to linear gradient.

Post#15

Set to linear gradient.

With the Gradient Tool you can change the type of gradient the tool makes. There's Linear, Radial, Angle, Reflected, and Diamond.

You need to set the tool to linear gradient.


Leave the Gradient Tools blending mode set to "Normal".

 

[knowoneuno]

That is all fine and dandy, did not understand your step 100%, no matter what, it still blurs the entire photo.

 

[IamSam]

no matter what, it still blurs the entire photo.

It can't blur the entire photo if you followed the instructions in post #15

I'm very sorry but I can't help you if you don't provide screenshots. I can't tell what your doing wrong. Do you have screen capture software? Can you upload a video?

 

[knowoneuno]

I have attached the most recent screen shot. After watching your video I realized I was pulling the gradient too far over in the photo. I think this looks pretty good.