Introduction

In this path blur tutorial, the aim is to take what is frankly a boring photograph of a train and use Photoshop to turn it into an abstract fine art picture that implies a sense of high speed. If you are looking for an edit that looks real, this is not the post for you. The intention is always a final image with a surreal atmosphere.

I am by no means a Photoshop expert and only use the program occasionally, so I rely heavily on the search tool to find menu items and tools. It often also turns up helpful mini tutorials along the way.

Software

I used Lightroom Classic 12.2.1 and Photoshop 24.2.0 for this step-by-step guide. I use a Mac, so the keyboard shortcuts in this tutorial refer to the Cmd (Command) key. If you are using Windows, use the Ctrl (Control) key instead.

Overview

Step-by-Step Guide

The Original Photograph

The first step is, of course, to take a photograph of a train! The easiest approach is to shoot a stationary train in a station, and there is one subtle point to bear in mind. If the train is on the opposite track to your platform, it is harder to make a realistic selection of it. Photographing a train at the platform you are standing on solves this, because the edge of the platform gives you a natural line to select along. I shot my original photo at Saphan Taksin BTS station on Charoen Krung Road.

At this stage you may want to make a few adjustments in the Basic panel in Lightroom, such as increasing the saturation. There is little point in cleaning up the background, though, as you cannot predict how it will turn out once you apply path blur. It is very much a case of try it and see.

Finally, right click the photograph in the Lightroom Library and choose Edit In > Edit in Adobe Photoshop.

Selecting the Subject

Use one of the selection tools to isolate the train. I found the Object Selection Tool works well, and if you are not familiar with it, use the Photoshop search facility to find it. Once the train is selected, you should see the marching ants, the moving dashed outline, around it or a mask overlay. Zoom in with Cmd +, then check around the edges of the train. Use the Selection Brush Tool with the Add and Subtract options to refine the edges as you go.

Working with Layers

• If necessary open the Layers panel by selecting Window > Layers from the menu bar.
• With the subject selected press Cmd-C then Cmd-V.  This will create a new layer with just the subject in it.  You might want to name it something suitable.
• Click on the eye symbol on the subject layer to switch it off. Note, nothing appears to change.
• Click on the Background layer.
• Choose the Lasso Tool and make a rough selection around the train. This is easier to do if you first zoom out using Cmd -.
• Click Generative Fill and then Generate. There is no need to enter a description for the fill. A new layer called Generative Fill will be added above the Background layer.
• Photoshop will then offer three variations. Choose one and delete the other two. It makes little difference which you keep, as the background is going to be blurred anyway.
• Make sure the Subject layer is not selected (eye icon off), and that the Generative Fill layer and the Background layer are both selected, with their eye icons visible. Then merge these two layers by pressing Cmd E.
• With the Background layer selected, choose Filter > Convert for Smart Filters from the menu bar. This also renames the Background layer as Layer 0. This step means that when the path blur filter is applied, it will remain editable, so you can return and adjust it at any time.

Applying the Path Blur

• On the menu bar, select Filter > Blur Gallery > Path Blur. A horizontal arrow will appear over the photograph, and the image will become blurred.
• Drag the starting point of the arrow to a point in the background that sits on a perspective line, for example the edge of the platform. Then drag the front of the arrow to somewhere near the foreground, so that the arrow runs along the perspective line.
• Add more paths by clicking to set a starting point, then dragging the path out along another perspective line. Double click to lock the end of each path in place.
• You can drag the endpoints of any path to new positions. To delete a path, click on it and press the Delete key. You can also drag the midpoint markers to turn a straight path into a curve.
• In the Blur Tools panel on the right increase the Speed control to near maximum.
• There are other controls in this panel and you might want to experiment with the effects they produce.

Final Steps

• When you are happy, click OK in the options bar at the top of the screen. There will be a short delay, while the path blur filter processes the background.
• In the Layers panel, the Subject layer’s visibility icon is currently hidden, leaving only a small empty square in the visibility column. Click this square and the eye icon will reappear, bringing the train back into the picture.
• From the menu bar choose File > Save.  This saves the image back to Lightroom without overwriting the original.
  

Wrapping Up

The final image here is a high speed background blur around a train, but the same approach works with many other subjects. It is generally known as the Adamski effect, after the photographer Josh Adamski, and the idea is always the same: keep the main subject sharp while a creative blur is applied to everything else in the frame. This video tutorial by Anthony Morganti shows the effect in action.