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excel learnerFlag for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

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blurring the image on the photo

Dear experts,

I have a photo taken using iphone.

I want to blur a section of the photo on a permanent basis. The reason for 'permanent' is that I do not want users on the face book or dating sites to download and then do away wiht the blurr.

I am happy to buy a paid version as well, but a free software will be welcome.

thank you
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Dave Baldwin
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GIMP or Paint.net which are free should be able to do it along with PaintShop Pro and Photoshop.  Once you blur a section in a JPG, it is essentially unrecoverable, the information is gone.
Try the free image viewer software Irfanview. Besides of its primary purpose (viewing images) it supports to apply effects to images or parts of images.

When blurring, you should consider what effect to use. The effects (i.e.) pixelize and explosion will make the image part really unrecoverable, while the effects swirl and twirl lokk nice but are (at least partly) reversable.

For more flexibility in effects and choosing areas to blur, I would recommend GIMP.
Photoshop has a great Blur Tool ... this is a really good 60 second tutorial on how to use it to blur out faces
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLx9ta1Cdsg

This uses an alternative method (use an elliptical marquee rather that the rectangular one mentioned).
http://www.ehow.com/how_8527128_do-blur-face-photo.html

There are loads more tutorials out out there.

I'd suggest that you stick with Photoshop (You used it as a keyword, so I assume that you have it).
Download Paint Net as suggested http://www.getpaint.net/
open it and drop your image on as a image
then go to selection tools
Eclipse Select Tool
User generated imageand put a circle around the face\then go to the effects and use either of these in the Blurs
User generated imageThere is also Blurs-Unfocus
User generated imageIf you go down the list also try the effects distort
 Effects Distort-Frosted glass
User generated imagePaint Net has many plugins
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/using-paint-net-make-it-even-better-with-these-great-plugins/
http://paint.net.amihotornot.com.au/Download/PluginsPack/
How to Install Paint.NET Plugins/ just save the file and extract to PDN Effects folder
http://boltbait.com/pdn/InstallingEffects.asp
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ASKER

All,

Thank you all for the solutions to my issue.

Hopefully all these are of permanent in nature and cannot be undone by anyone who can download the photo.

Thank you
Hopefully all these are of permanent in nature
If you save the blurred photos as photoshop files (PSD) with all the layers intact, then the blurring can be easily removed.

Just save your blurred images as JPG files in Photoshop (File > Save As) and the blurring is 100% permanent and cannot be removed/undone.

You can always flatten the image (i.e. merge all layers) ....... Ctrl + Shift + E
to make the blurring permanent in Photoshop format.
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NOTE: This information regarding the JPG file format applies to all the software mentioned on this page, not just Photoshop.
Excellearner with the paint net image I exampled it cannot be undone.
The circle can be enlarged to cover more if you wanted to.
To remove the blur would remove the face.
If you found your solution please don't forget to close this.
cheers
One other thing to consider Excellearner regarding privacy ......

Have a look at the photo's EXIF  data and make sure that your phone has not GeoTagged them
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geotagging
SOLUTION
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BillDL
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Merete,

While downloading the software, it is asking permission to install other utilities like child protection or pcclean. I do not want to download these.

So is there is any paid software which will just provide what I request.

I usually find that these other secondary softwares downloaded slow down the pc and create interruption with pop. These potentially could also pose security threat.

My laptop is protected by mcfee total protection,but I am still very cautious.

Kindly advice.

Thank you
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BillDL2
Thank you for your comment, the below url tried to install a virus/malware in my system. The mcfee has successfully prevented it.
https://www.tineye.com 

Merete
Your suggestion worked perfectly fine and I am happy.
I do not think your suggestion removes the hidden data of the picture.

On a different question, does anyone know if it is illegal to put a photo of you and other person. But the faces of both the people are blurred (per the suggestions taken from this questions/software support). The other person would be a lady and these snaps were taken in public event widely organised in London, UK. There is subtle nudity of the person. But these pictures are taken straight infront of their faces with their complete permission (but did not declare it will be posted online) but these people do appear on youtube videos.

Kindly advice.
Excellearner

I have just run http://www.tineye.com and https://www.tineye.com through several well known online web reputation scanners and browser plugins (including a McAfee one) and it comes up clean.  Example result:
https://www.virustotal.com/en/url/561f5dad171f3688db338b4580715dcd6d9be94308d6ca1bb0929184d04a8c40/analysis/1414278072/

I don't just send people off willy nilly to unknown websites.  I use this site frequently and there is absolutely nothing launched by their web pages that could even be vaguely construed as a virus.  I have just examined the pages on their site in-depth again.  If you would care to provide me with the name of the malware/virus that your McAfee application flagged as malware and deleted, then I will look at the results and make some investigation.

I'm not getting involved in the "subtle nudity" aspect of your question, because there are too many potential (il)legalities.
Hi Excellearner. thank you glad to know it worked.
I'd never post any images of other people without their permission taking the photo with their permission is one thing but with subtle nudity whatever that means posting on the web even blurring their faces you'd need their permission unless it's a private online.
As this is for Facebook should be ok since you had permission to take it.
I believe there is a distinction between countries about public and private also be aware anything on the internet can be used.
Regards Merete
Excellearner you'll still have to close your question, have you abandoned this
regards Merete
Hi Merete/BillDL,

My sincere apologies to both. There has been certain level of lacksity from my side but I have been travelling all along. Hence I could not follow up with the responses.

Merete,

The photographs I am referring to were taken in a Caribbean carnival. The photos taken were with their permission (but no explicit permission to host on public domains though the face/features would be blurred).

BillDL.

Sorry that I could not save the error message/virus message. It did impact my laptop. I had format and reinstall windows 8. I am not trying to imply that you would not have done your due diligence but the website had overridden my mcfee and a lot web pages would open randomly and block the screen with a message window.

Thank you
Hi Excellearner, now i understand and I doubt very much there would be a problem with legalities posting photos from the Caribbean festivals with traditional dress as you say  Caribbean carnival. You see this on TV.
I have taken many photos of parades/festivities from different cultures around the world and shared them on my Facebook/Flickr.
This a public event-festival.
You should come to Australia and see our natives in the glorious traditional dress or lack there of clothing dancing up the streets, it is broadcast live on TV
We have the Sydney Gay Mardi Gras every year. Which I don't watch on TV let alone go to.
 Google Aboriginal festivals Australia and look in the public images
Caribbean carnival. Public images
try Caribbean carnival Hot Girls and see what's in the public arena lol.
Beautiful people some partially dressed.
You're on holidays and taking happy snaps  :)
cheers
Merete!

You have spirit in you my friend. Keep it going.

Thanks a lot for your patience and providing me good insight.

I wish to close this, but I have one last question to the honourable site coordinators. Can I share my personal email with Merete discretely or would this be a violation of the exchange's rules. If yes then how do i do it. This is for pen friendship and not for discussing any EE related topics.

Thanks everyone.
Thank you and your welcome  Excellearner.
Please don't forget to close your question.
Merete
Thank you Excellearner