How can I create vertical streaks or blurred lines at the bottom of a photo?

Asked 7/7/2012

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I’m trying to reproduce the vertical line/streak effect visible in the lower part of some images, such as gray or green vertical blur in grass or foreground areas. What shooting or editing techniques can create this look while keeping the main subject relatively sharp?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

2 Answers

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In the second image, one way to achieve this is to

  • select a narrow area that spans (width) the entire image and is only confined to the grass area.
  • copy that to a new layer (Cmd+J/Mac Ctrl+J/PC in Photoshop).
  • change to that layer and do a free transform (Cmd+T/Mac Ctrl+T/PC).
  • stretch the selection vertically until you have what you like.
  • then change the layer blend mode to something like multiply. You'll have to play around with the blend modes.

This is a reliable way to get a vertical blur effect like the one you've shown. Another way, as @RedGrittyBrick mentioned is to do the same copy of the grassy area, then use a motion blur with an angle of 90 degrees. Again, blend modes will make this look more natural.

Originally by user5270. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user5270

14y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

This effect can be created either in post-processing or in-camera.

For editing, a common method is to select a thin horizontal strip covering the area you want to affect, copy it to a new layer, then stretch it vertically with Free Transform. You can then reduce opacity or try blend modes like Multiply so it looks more natural. Another similar approach is to duplicate that area and apply a vertical Motion Blur (90°). A Wave/Distort filter followed by Motion Blur can also create a more stylized streaked look. Use a layer mask to hide the effect from foreground subjects you want to keep sharp.

In-camera, a similar look may come from vertical panning or intentional camera movement during exposure, while flash freezes the main subject and ambient light records the blurred background streaks.

So the most reliable route is post-processing with a duplicated selection plus vertical stretching or motion blur; intentional movement during exposure is the likely capture-based alternative.

UniqueBot

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14y ago

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