Ready to get started? Open the free Selective Focus App here.
What does this tool do?
The Selective Focus Tool lets you decide exactly which part of a photograph stays sharp while the rest of the image becomes softly blurred. It is an easy way to draw attention to a person, flower, animal or object without needing expensive editing software.
Unlike many simple blur tools, you can move, resize and rotate the focus area directly on the image. You can also choose different focus shapes, soften the edge of the effect, sharpen the selected subject and even reduce colour intensity outside the focused area to make your chosen subject stand out more clearly.
How to use the Selective Focus Tool
Upload your photograph and a focus guide appears on the image. Drag it to position it over the subject you want to keep sharp.
Use the white handles to change the width and height of the focused area, or drag the orange handle to rotate it. If you prefer, you can also fine-tune everything using the sliders on the right.
Choose between an oblong, circular or soft rectangular focus shape, then adjust the blur strength and edge feathering until the transition between sharp and blurred areas looks natural.
Enhance the subject even further
Once the focus area is in the right place, you can make additional improvements without affecting the whole image. Increase the sharpening to give extra definition to the selected area, add a gentle vignette to draw the eye towards the centre, or adjust Outside Colour Richness.
This colour control works differently from a normal saturation slider. Move it below zero to reduce colour outside the focused area for a more subtle background, or increase it above zero to make the surroundings more vibrant while keeping attention on the main subject.
Photos that work particularly well
This effect works well on portraits, flowers, wildlife, pets, food, cars, products and close-up nature photographs. It is equally useful for landscapes where you want one feature to stand out without distracting detail elsewhere in the scene.
Because the focus area can be moved, rotated and reshaped, it is easy to match the effect to subjects that are horizontal, vertical or at an angle.
Download your finished image
When you are happy with the result, download the finished picture as a JPEG, PNG or WebP image. The focus guide and editing handles are only shown while you are working and are never included in the saved picture.
If you want to start again, simply click Original Image to restore the uploaded photograph and reset all the controls ready for another edit.