How Do I Use Motion Blur Without Effecting Shadows?

[DamienB]

I take photos in a game called, iRacing, and I have to edit them. The problem I am having is getting the motion blur to affect the ground under the shadows without affecting the shadows itself. I was told Photoshop does this with ease, so I know it's possible I just don't know if Affinity can do it and how.

Does anyone know? 

[Pšenda]

Motion blur with Mask?

https://affinity.help/photo/English.lproj/pages/Filters/filter_motionBlur.html

[DamienB]

1 hour ago, Pšenda said:

Motion blur with Mask?

https://affinity.help/photo/English.lproj/pages/Filters/filter_motionBlur.html

I don't understand. I'm pretty sure the photos you're looking at are masked. It's just one I didn't mask in the shadows and theft them as background that's why the shadows are blurred.

 

Edited January 1 by DamienB

[Ron P.]

Are you applying a Live Filter Motion Blur or the destructive one on the Filter Menu?

You are aware the white thumbnails on the left end of adjustment and live filter layers are masks right? If you do not want the Motion Blur applied to the shadows, paint them out. Just use a black paint brush, make sure you have the Motion Blur Live Filter's thumbnail selected in the layers panel, then paint over the shadow areas.

[DamienB]

Just now, Ron P. said:

Are you applying a Live Filter Motion Blur or the destructive one on the Filter Menu?

You are aware the white thumbnails on the left end of adjustment and live filter layers are masks right? If you do not want the Motion Blur applied to the shadows, paint them out. Just use a black paint brush, make sure you have the Motion Blur Live Filter's thumbnail selected in the layers panel, then paint over the shadow areas.

I'm using Live Filter Motion Blur at the bottom of the layers tab. 

 

Could you please specify what you mean by painting out? I tried inpaint, but that doesn't work. I could erase shadows without erasing the ground with it.

I'm pretty clueless, will probably need to be explained with good detail.

 

Thanks for your reply.

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, DamienB said:

Could you please specify what you mean by painting out? I tried inpaint, but that doesn't work.

Live Filters have builtin masks. So if you select one in the Layers panel, you can use the Paint Brush Tool to paint on it, just like it was any other mask layer. Use black to paint out (remove) the effect of the filter, white to paint it back in, or anything in between to partially remove it.

[Ron P.]

Here's a video tutorial on Using Mask Layers.

 

[ronnyb]

11 hours ago, DamienB said:

I take photos in a game called, iRacing, and I have to edit them. The problem I am having is getting the motion blur to affect the ground under the shadows without affecting the shadows itself. I was told Photoshop does this with ease, so I know it's possible I just don't know if Affinity can do it and how.

Does anyone know? 

Just apply your motion blur filter as desired, select the filter layer, click on the Blend Range icon (the cog in the upper right corner of the layer palette), and drop the shadows to zero or adjust just as you would a curves layer.

[NotMyFault]

This task is medium complex when you need a perfect result.

The source image needs to be separated into 2 areas:

1. the car, all background removed
2. the racetrack / background and old shadow

then add a motion blur filter between 1 and 2.

this uses a simplification: we blur both the non-blurred shadow and the already blurry background.

You will immediately notice a problem: the blur will catch wrong colors:

• at the back of the car, we need to add a fill created from the street left of the car. A rectangular selection, copied, stretched and moved under the car, will do.
• at the front / bottom of the car we need to add a vertical gradient filled curve, black on top, dark gray sampled from tarmac on bottom.
• These curve should be placed below the fron / bottom of the car, and roughly follow the curvature of the old shadow.

There will be other easier methods to create a similar result.

My post tries to explain the principle approach without shortcuts.

 

 

racecar shadow.afphoto

Edited January 2 by NotMyFault
Revised version of attachments

[DamienB]

I think there confusion with me posting already motion edited photos. I don't want to know how to correct those that are motion edited already. So if someone could be so kind explain to me the steps to take with one that I start from scratch?

 

Also I tried using the paint brush tool over a mask, if just paints black or white. It's not doing what the video shows.

 

Edited January 2 by DamienB

[DamienB]

11 hours ago, NotMyFault said:

This task is medium complex when you need a perfect result.

The source image needs to be separated into 2 areas:

1. the car, all background removed
2. the racetrack / background and old shadow

then add a motion blur filter between 1 and 2.

this uses a simplification: we blur both the non-blurred shadow and the already blurry background.

You will immediately notice a problem: the blur will catch wrong colors:

• at the back of the car, we need to add a fill created from the street left of the car. A rectangular selection, copied, stretched and moved under the car, will do.
• at the front / bottom of the car we need to add a vertical gradient filled curve, black on top, dark gray sampled from tarmac on bottom.
• These curve should be placed below the fron / bottom of the car, and roughly follow the curvature of the old shadow.

There will be other easier methods to create a similar result.

My post tries to explain the principle approach without shortcuts.

 

 

racecar shadow.afphoto 12.01 MB · 0 downloads

What you're saying is to make two separate crops, the car and the shadow; So that I can use motion blur on the background and the shadow separately without affecting the car?

[NotMyFault]

20 minutes ago, DamienB said:

What you're saying is to make two separate crops, the car and the shadow; So that I can use motion blur on the background and the shadow separately without affecting the car?

Kind of.

Basically, you need only the car, as a selected / masked copy of the original image.

Then, you need to replace (delete / fill) the area covered by the car with suitable background for the blurring step. You can re-use the first mask for this purpose. My first tutorial will work for the non-blurred image, too.

[NotMyFault]

the car cutout:

a few helper (patches from road / shadow / car to bring the correct colors "under" the car cutout:

This atop the original image, and a motion blur added:

finally the car cutout on top:

 

a video explaining the principle method:

 

[DamienB]

1 hour ago, NotMyFault said:

the car cutout:

a few helper (patches from road / shadow / car to bring the correct colors "under" the car cutout:

This atop the original image, and a motion blur added:

finally the car cutout on top:

 

a video explaining the principle method:

 

Oh I know how to do what you're saying. You haven't answered my question because your edit has the shadows blurred too. The only reason why yours isn't blurred like mine is because I used a ton of motion blur. 

My question was to have zero blur on the shadow, but under the shadow the ground is still moving.

 

Edit: Also my paint brush doesn't work, I make a mask layer and I can't do anything, either nothing happens or I'm painting a black or white color on my photo.

Edited January 3 by DamienB

[RichardMH]

I think to do what you want to do, duplicate the layer twice, blur the bottom layer. Turn off the top layer.  On the middle layer mask the shadows and invert (so the bottom layer comes through just in the shadows). That will blur just the shadows but leave their edges sharp which I figure is what you want. Can then cut out the car and shadow, blur the top layer and put the car on top.

[NotMyFault]

8 hours ago, DamienB said:

Oh I know how to do what you're saying. You haven't answered my question because your edit has the shadows blurred too. The only reason why yours isn't blurred like mine is because I used a ton of motion blur. 

My question was to have zero blur on the shadow, but under the shadow the ground is still moving.

 

Edit: Also my paint brush doesn't work, I make a mask layer and I can't do anything, either nothing happens or I'm painting a black or white color on my photo.

If you need the edge of the shadow sharp, but the racetrack blurred, limited to the part under the shadow:

• make a selection of the shadow.
• add live motion blur filter, adjust radius to taste

That is basically all, but you will face the issue i explained before: The blur will catch unwanted colors at the edges, and you need to backfill them.

[firstdefence]

I'd be interested in seeing the tutorial/explanation of how photoshop does the ops question with ease?

[lacerto]

Has probably something to do with the path blur tool, that can have multiple vectors with speed and shape controls, which, after selection of area to be processed (and making it available for smart filters), is easy to use to create complex blurs in one go.

(EDIT: On the other hand, as far as I have understood OP's problem correctly, the specified goal should be achievable by handling the motion blur ilve effect layer directly with the desired masking brush using shades between black and white to adjust the effect, or disable it altogether, at parts where it is not wanted, and I do not think that this can be done any easier way using Photoshop -- meaning that it can be done equally easily in both apps.)

[Lisbon]

On 1/1/2022 at 5:19 PM, DamienB said:

...The problem I am having is getting the motion blur to affect the ground under the shadows without affecting the shadows itself...

Does anyone know?

I think so @DamianB.

You need 3 layers.

Bottom layer: just the track.
With the freehand selection tool make a selection around the car and go to Edit > Fill > Inpainting
If necessary, repeat this process until you get a clean track.
I took the shadows from the grass. Just a personal preference.
The patch tool can also help.
In the end you can add motion blur.

Middle Layer: Car + shadow
Top Layer: Just the car

Lastly, fix the shadow.
The next steps will be ALL IN THE MIDDLE LAYER (Car + Shadow)

1) Better blending... Change blending mode to multiply
2) Too dark... reduce opacity to 80% (Edit: Maybe 85%)
3) Too much texture... add a dust & scratches adjustment layer (2px 4%)
4) Shadow too saturated... add a vibrance adjustment layer (Saturation -30%)
5) Edges of the shadow too harsh... With the mask selected, apply gaussian blur (2px)

 

RacingCar.afphoto

[JIPJIP]

Nice.

Works well Lisbon.

[Lisbon]

18 hours ago, JIPJIP said:

Nice.

Works well Lisbon.

Thank you for your words @JIPJIP