This tutorial will teach you how to blur the background of a photo while keeping the subject sharp using motion blur filter in Photoshop.

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One of the interesting effect can be produced using Photoshop is motion blur effect. Motion blur Photoshop filter can be used to create this amazing effect. It can give sense of motion to a photo which hasn't got the right kind of drama in it. In this tutorial, we will create a dramatic effect in this image by blurring the distracting background while keeping the subject sharp. This can be achieved in few simple steps. Follow the guidelines below to learn how to add motion blur on an image using Adobe Photoshop.

Step 1 -- Create a outline

For this tutorial, we will be working on this image over here.
We will start with first duplicating the background layer. After that, we need to make a selection around the objects on which we do not want to apply the blur effect.
In this image, we will make a selection around the horses. For that, we will use the "pen tool" from the tool bar on the left, and make an outline around the two objects.

Step 2 -- Make a selection of the subject

After that, simply right-click and click on the "make selection" option from the menu that appears. This will convert the outline into a selection.

Step 3 -- Copy the selection

Now press "Control C" on your keyboard to make a copy of the selection and paste it on a new layer by pressing Control V. Notice over here, in the layers panel, that the selection is appearing in a new layer here.

Step 4 -- Select the blur filter

Once we have made a copy of the selection, we will go back to the duplicated background layer, move over to the "filter" menu and select the "blur" option from the list. Over here, you will see many blur filters. Since we want to apply a motion blur photoshop effect, we will choose the motion blur option over here.

Step 5 -- Set the intensity of the blur

With that done, a new panel will appear on the screen. Now adjust the distance bar to set the intensity of the blur filter on the image. We will use 43 pixels for this image. You can also set the angle for the motion blur by rotating the icon here or manually entering the angle in the field.

Step 6 -- Remove the unwanted areas

Notice that since we made a rough selection in the beginning of the video, there are some areas around the object which are not blurred out. This is because the object layer is above the background area.
So let's pick up the eraser tool and remove the unwanted areas. Be sure to pick up a soft eraser tool, since we don't want sharp edges to be left out in the layer. Furthermore, we will be using 75% for the opacity. Work extremely carefully around the edges when working with the eraser tool.
At the end, you would end up with something like this. A simple motion blur effect applied in Photoshop.