Photoshop Tutorials » DepthBlur Tutorial

Step 1 - Starting Out
Create a new 600x175 document in Photoshop. Step 2 - Image Base
For this tutorial, I'm going to be using this Battlefield 2 image. So grab it and put it in your document to follow along in this tutorial. Center it it to match the image below as close as possible. Step 3 - Polygonal Lasso Tool
Select the "Polygonal Lasso Tool". We will be using the polygonal tool instead of the other ones due to the fact that Battlefield 2 is a game, and incorporates polygons for all objects. It's only easiest to use the tool as it'll take less time than the normal lasso tool and what not. Now, begin clicking around the whole base of the mech, until you go all the way around it like in the image below. Step 4 - Invert Selection
Right click the selection you have just made, and then click again on "Select Inverse". Now before we go any furhter, duplicate the image layer. We'll need 2 layers to work this effect (the other one comes into play later on. Work with the bottom layer for now, and just hide the top one.) Step 5 - Gaussian Blur
With the selection still selected, go to Filter»Blur»Gaussian Blur. Change the radius to around 1.5 to 2.0px, and hit ok. Now we have the background blurred like in the image below (be sure not to deselect the selection, yet, I don't have it shown in the image below, but you'll need it later.) Step 6 - Deleting, and Inverting Again
Select the top image layer and make it visible to the document. Hit delete on your keyboard to delete the background of the top layer. Repeat step 4 by again right clicking on the selection, and inversing it one more time to make it wrap around our mech once more. Step 7 - Gaussian Blur Once More
Go to Filter»Blur»Gaussian Blur, and do a radius of 1.0 to 2.0px. Step 8 - Layer Mask
Go to Layer»Layer Mask»Reveal All to reveal a layer mask. Your gradient tool should show up, and with default foreground/background colors (if you don't have them, just hit D on your keyboard once to reset the colors), make a gradient with the image guide below. Step 9 - Final Comments
This is what the layers should look like at this point... Layers The top layer is the blurred mech with the layer mask added, and the one in the middle is the blurred background/non-blurred mech. The background layer has no effect on this image. End! Job well done! :)

Photoshop Tutorials » DepthBlur Tutorial