What is Bokeh Effect?

Bokeh Effect simulates the soft background blur seen in portrait photography. Paint a mask over your subject to keep it sharp while the background gets a smooth, creamy bokeh blur.

You paint a mask over whatever should stay sharp, usually a face or product, and the rest of the frame gets a stacked Gaussian blur that mimics the falloff of a wide-aperture lens. Brush size, blur strength, and an eraser let you refine the edges, and a Show Mask toggle reveals what the algorithm sees before you commit.

How to use

1. Upload a photo and use the brush tool to paint over the area you want to keep sharp
2. Adjust the blur intensity and bokeh circle size
3. Preview the effect and download the processed image

When to use

• Rescuing a portrait shot at f/8 that needed a creamier background.
• Isolating a product photo against a busy desk for an Etsy listing.
• Hiding identifying details in the background of a screenshot before sharing.

Result

A photographer masks the person's face and body in a street portrait, then applies a strong bokeh blur to the busy city background.

FAQ

How is this different from a phone's Portrait Mode?

Phone portrait modes guess where the subject is using depth sensors or AI. Here you draw the mask yourself, which is slower but gives you exact control — useful when the auto detection picks the wrong person or shaves off a hand.

Why does the blurred edge look like a halo around my subject?

Halos happen when the mask is slightly too small and bright background pixels bleed inward when blurred. Paint a little farther past the subject's silhouette, especially around the hair, and the halo collapses.

Can I get hexagonal bokeh balls like a real camera lens?

Yes — pick the Hexagonal shape under Bokeh Shape. The algorithm offsets six soft stamps of the image at 60° intervals, which approximates the six-sided aperture of a wide-open prime lens. Circular stays available for the classic creamy look.

What happens to my photo after I download it?

The photo stays on your device. The mask and blur both run in memory and nothing is uploaded. Close this page and the image, mask, and result are all dropped.

Does the export keep the original resolution?

Yes, the saved PNG matches the source dimensions. If you upload a 4000×3000 photo you get a 4000×3000 PNG back. Large images take longer to blur, so expect a beat of latency on very high-resolution files.

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