How can you make an orbiting blur in photoshop?

Asked by johnny0313x (1860

) May 14th, 2010

I have to do something for work and I am a bit stuck on how to achieve this. Unfortunately I can not show the photo I am working on but will do my best to explain it. I am familiar with all the blur filters in photoshop and have tried and few things but can’t seem to come up with something perfect.

Picture a bowl of peanuts, now picture hanging a pencil over that bowl on the left hand side. The pencil is hanging from a chain.

The pencil needs to look as though it’s swinging on the inner rim of the bowl in a circular motion. Basically a motion blur around the bowl.

I know this can be achieved through certain photographic techniques of taking the photo at different intervals on the same piece of film or something like that but unfortunately that is not the route they are taking.

I have tried copying the pencil to various locations around the rim of the bowl and added a motion blur but it doesn’t really give it a smooth circle around the bowl.

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions?

Also I should mention the angle the photo is taken at is not directly above the bowl and not on the side. It is in between those two angles. Like an overhead/side shot if that makes sense.

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6 Answers

it’s hard to tell what you need without some sort of picture reference. But maybe you could do something like I have done here. These were two photos I did for a company. The both show movement. I’m not sure if its what your looking for though, take a look here The X looks likes is moving somewhat more of an electric kind of effect I did. Or here

here’s a link to an effect that might be helpful also http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/motion_blur/index.html
or
http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-effects/motion-blur/

earthduzt (3243

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or there’s this blur http://www.tutorialsroom.com/tutorials/graphics/motion_blur.html

earthduzt (3243

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You might want to add the blur to the second pencil image before you paste it around the bowl. Check out this image

I copied the pencil image, pasted it to a new layer, adjusted the opacity, added a wind effect, adjusted the placement, then duplicated the layer and adjusted that third pencil images opacity and placement, then did it again.

I also skewed the last two images slightly to give more of the rounded effect. This was a quick mock-up, but if you spent some time on it you could get it to work just fine.

fireside (12366

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Use a brush in the shape of the pencil [unfortunately you will have to add color to image after brushes are greyscale and then blur either the color or the brushtrail or both

anartist (14813

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Those are all great responses but I think maybe I was not clear about the actual problem I am having. I have no trouble to make the blur or motion trail, add color etc. The issue I am facing is to give the blur that circular look. Right now it’s more left to right the blur. Picture a race car driving super fast around a race track, so fast all you see if a blur of color going in a circle. That would be kind what I am trying to do. I think they are all good responses you guys have though and appreciate the help :)

johnny0313x (1860

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I think you need to be able to run the pencil-brush along an elliptical path. I know text can be run on a path, it seems a brushstroke should too—OR MAYBE YOU NEED TO USE FLASH

anartist (14813

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