Static photos transform into dynamic action scenes when the background appears to race past your subject. This speed effect simulates the motion blur captured in high-speed photography, where the camera follows a moving subject while the background streaks by.
The technique combines subject isolation, generative fill for clean backgrounds, and path blur filters to create realistic motion trails that follow natural perspective lines.
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Practical Tips
Master these essential techniques for creating professional motion blur effects:
- Convert background layers to smart objects before applying blur filters to maintain non-destructive editing capabilities
- Use generative fill to remove subjects cleanly from backgrounds rather than manual cloning or healing
- Expand selections by 30 pixels when isolating subjects to ensure complete removal from background layers
- Create multiple blur paths for complex subjects like cars to follow natural perspective and road curves
- Adjust endpoint speeds in path blur to create realistic acceleration and deceleration effects
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