Reduce motion blur using The GIMP

This Instructable helps you reduce the effects of soft motion blur you get because of camera shake. This is an experimental method developed by me, so please try out and leave comments, preferably with images.

As is evident from the quality of the photograph I hereby present, I am not a Pro. Heck. I don't even come close to my 5th grade cousin.

But I am OK with my favourite photo editor GIMP. So I tried developing a technique similar to the Unsharp Mask filter. All out of trial and error, so I don't guaranty anything. I have noticed it only reduces soft motion blur. So take a backup of the images you try this on. You have been warned.

( I found that the steps apply much better to the following images :

http://www.shootmatt.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/2007-09-18-12-08-26.jpg

from

http://www.shootmatt.com/blog/photo/got-a-problem-with-blurry-photos-step-right-in/181/

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_rSN1hOmzubg/Ru4cncpszNI/AAAAAAAAAII/cOxHwaEe58g/IMG_9116.JPG

from

http://picasaweb.google.com/mykie718/Isdaan#5111054091143662802
)

So here goes nothing.

Select your camera shake affected photograph and move on to the next step.

Step 1 Measure the blur.

Find a suitable item/part of your image where you can 'Measure' your motion blur. That is, the angle and length. For the uninitiated, GIMP has a Measure tool. Find it. It usually looks like a divider/compass from the geometry box.

Comments

[anthonyisageek]

I've found that adjusting the red and cyan (blue and green composite) channels separately with opposite motion blur angles renders a better image, much like a reverse anaglyph. You can do this in GIMP by going to the channels dialog, right-click the red channel, then click "Channel to Selection". Copy the selection and paste as a new layer. Duplicate it and add motion blur with an angle of -90 (270) to 90 degrees (right semi-circle), depending on the angle of incidence. Do the same thing as you would with the Grain modes. Now do the same with the Cyan channel. Select the red channel and invert it. Copy and paste as a new layer, then duplicate. This time, when you add motion blur, set the angle opposite of the red channel 90 to 270 degrees (left semi-circle). I suspect this won't matter so much with a vertically blurred image.

[richruss69]

this is awsome! i've only tried it out on one image and i think i got the angle a little off but the is some reduction still. however the color did wierd things. i will have to play with it some more!