A quick way to soften portraits using three steps – it’s amazing what can be done with just a few tools
Open your image and go to Image>Mode>RGB. Now drag the Background layer onto the Create a New Layer button in the Layers palette, or press Cmd/Ctrl+J, to duplicate.
Head up to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur and a new window will appear. Enter 15px and watch how the image changes in the Preview window. You can alter the amount as you wish, just ensure that the basic facial outlines are visible and hit OK.
With the top layer still selected, set the blending mode to Overlay. Your photo will take on a whole new appearance. To reduce the redness, just click on the black and white circle at the bottom of the Layers palette, choose Hue/Saturation setting Hue to +7 and Saturation to -6.
If the face is too blurred, use the Eraser tool set to 30% Opacity to brush over the area. This keeps attention drawn to the model’s eyes.
