Blur the Background for Punchier Photos

I've talked to a lot of digital photographers who are disappointed with basic photo editing tools because they don't always have the intended effect. Take sharpening tools, for example: Somewhat counterintuitively, sharpening doesn't sharpen blurry pictures.

But you can increase your subject's apparent sharpness by blurring everything else. This is also an awesome trick for adding a sense of depth to your photos. A long time ago, I mentioned four ways to get a deep depth of field in your photos. This week I'd like to focus on one of those techniques in particular: blurring the background of your photo using layers.

More at: PCWorld-Dave Johnson