Manipulating the Depth of Field in photography and videography is the new “Hotness.” It’s not best to simply apply a graduated Blur in Photoshop-the effect is far too coarse and does not approximate certain ideosyncracies of a larger aperture.
In this (above) particular image it is obvious that a “top-to-bottom” blur gradient, unless effectively Masked from the tower structure, would not fool the eye. It is extremely important to separate the in-focus foreground from the out-of-focus background as shown in this image. Note that even the details around the top of the tower are sharp.
In the following image of the Idaho State Capitol Rotunda please note that the scaffolding is sharp while the background, even between scaffold elements, is effectively blurred. This realism is very important when enlarging images (this one went to 60″ tall).
Even in images where a Gradient Blur may work there are still concerns about technically correct defocus to attend to. In this image the defocus graduates both in front of and behind the subject, and is appropriately applied so that the background elements (downtown Boise) are still recognizable.
Other optical traits of aperture-induced defocus include the propensity of specular highlights to register a signature of the aperture blade configuration. In this image the highlight blurs to the back and front of the subject and demonstrates blade geometries.
I do have a weakness for low light aerials. Click on the thumbnails below for a larger version…
It is quite simple to apply these effects to sequential video frames using software automation.
L