Blur Background
Automatically detect the subject in a photo and apply a realistic blur to the background, simulating a shallow depth-of-field effect. Adjustable blur strength lets you control the intensity from subtle to dramatic. All processing is local on your self-hosted instance.
Features
- AI-powered subject segmentation with smooth edge transitions
- Adjustable blur radius from subtle softening to heavy bokeh simulation
- Preserves fine subject details including hair, glasses, and accessories
- Works on portraits, products, pets, and complex multi-subject scenes
- Maintains original resolution and color fidelity in the output
What you can do
- Adding portrait-mode blur to smartphone photos that lack optical bokeh
- De-emphasizing cluttered office backgrounds in professional headshots
- Drawing viewer focus to a product by softening the surrounding environment
- Improving visual hierarchy in social media images for higher engagement
AI that runs on your hardware. No cloud APIs, no usage limits.
Unlike cloud AI services, SnapOtter's Blur Background runs the ML model directly on your server. Your files are processed locally with no data sent to external APIs. No per-file fees, no rate limits, no privacy concerns. Deploy once with Docker and use it as much as you need.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I control how blurry the background gets?
- Yes, you can adjust the blur strength from a gentle softening to an aggressive bokeh effect. Since SnapOtter is self-hosted, you can experiment with different settings freely without per-image charges.
- Does it work on photos with multiple people?
- The AI model can detect multiple subjects and keep them all sharp while blurring the background. Processing runs entirely on your own hardware, so group photos and team headshots stay private.
- Will it blur parts of the subject by mistake?
- The segmentation model handles most subjects cleanly, especially with good contrast against the background. If edges need refinement, you can re-process locally without limits since everything runs on your self-hosted server.
Ready to try Blur Background?
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