Blur and noise focus your attention

- The subjects of this chapter, blur and noise,…may sound altogether unrelated,…but they're actually more like polar opposites…and they go hand-in-hand in explaining…how digital imagery works.…Let's start with our tiny square friend the pixel.…By itself it's not much.…If all Photoshop offered was a single beige…or even brightly colored pixel,…I imagine the novelty would have worn off a few years ago.…But it has neighbors.…Specifically, eight neighbors.…Two side to side, two up and down, and four corners.…

Which brings us to blur and noise.…Blur is how similar these neighboring pixels are…and noise is how different.…Now, imagine a whole ton of these pixels packed together.…Some similar, blur.…Some different, noise.…The similar pixels blend into the background.…The different ones fight to be noticed.…Together they define the image.…Now, blur and noise, they may sound like everyday words…that create distraction,…but together they create the tension…that actually focuses your attention,…and that's all you need to know.…