How to Use the Gaussian Blur Filter for Dreamy Portrait Backgrounds

September 23, 20264 min read

Why Background Blur Makes Your Portraits Shine

You have taken a lovely photo of your grandchild at the park, but the cluttered playground equipment behind them pulls attention away from that precious smile. This is where the Gaussian Blur filter in Photoshop Elements becomes your best friend.

Professional photographers use expensive lenses to create that soft, dreamy background effect called bokeh. But you can achieve something remarkably similar right in PSE — even with photos taken on your phone or a basic camera. The Gaussian Blur filter smoothly softens whatever you apply it to, letting you control exactly how much blur you want.

Understanding When to Use Gaussian Blur

The Gaussian Blur filter works beautifully for:

Softening busy backgrounds in family portraits
Creating a professional look for graduation or birthday photos
Drawing attention to a pet's face in outdoor shots
Making old photos with cluttered backgrounds look cleaner

Unlike the Depth of Field Guided Edit, which is wonderful for beginners, using the Gaussian Blur filter manually in Advanced mode gives you complete control over exactly which areas get blurred and by how much.

Step-by-Step: Blur the Background While Keeping Your Subject Sharp

Open your portrait photo in Photoshop Elements and switch to Advanced mode using the tabs at the top of the screen. Then follow these steps:

1Go to Layer → Duplicate Layer to create a copy of your photo. This keeps your original safe while you work on the copy.

1Make sure your duplicate layer is selected in the Layers panel on the right side of your screen.

1Select your subject using the Quick Selection Tool from the toolbar. Click and drag over the person you want to keep sharp. PSE will automatically detect edges as you paint.

1Once your subject is selected with marching ants around them, go to Select → Inverse. This switches the selection so the background is now selected instead of the person.

1Go to Filter → Blur → Gaussian Blur to open the blur dialog box.

1In the Gaussian Blur dialog, you will see a Radius slider. Start with a value around 15 to 25 pixels for a natural look. Watch the preview to see how the background softens.

1Adjust the Radius slider until the background looks pleasantly soft but not cartoonish. For most family portraits, somewhere between 10 and 30 pixels works nicely.

1Click OK to apply the blur.

1Press Ctrl+D (or Cmd+D on Mac) to remove the selection.

Fine-Tuning the Edges for a Natural Blend

Sometimes the edge between your sharp subject and blurred background looks too harsh. Here is how to fix that:

1Before applying the Gaussian Blur in step 5 above, go to Select → Feather after inversing your selection.

1Enter a feather radius of 2 to 5 pixels. This softens the transition between your subject and the background.

1Then proceed with applying Filter → Blur → Gaussian Blur as described above.

The feathered edge creates a more gradual transition that looks natural, as if the blur happened when you took the photo rather than being added later.

Choosing the Right Blur Amount

How much blur is too much? That depends on your photo and personal taste, but here are some guidelines:

Subtle blur (5-15 pixels): The background remains recognisable but softer. Good for environmental portraits where location matters.

Medium blur (15-30 pixels): Creates a clear separation between subject and background. Perfect for most family portraits.

Strong blur (30-50 pixels): Makes the background almost abstract. Use sparingly, as it can look artificial.

Start with less blur than you think you need — you can always undo and try again with a higher value.

Saving Your Work

Once you are happy with your softly blurred background:

1Go to File → Save As and choose PSD format to keep your layers intact for future adjustments.

1Then go to File → Export → Export As to create a JPEG for sharing or printing.

Photoshop Elements makes it simple to transform busy, distracting backgrounds into soft, professional-looking portraits that put all the focus where it belongs — on the people you love.