Fuzzifier

Diffusion effects are a long-standing weapon in the photographer's armoury, so it's no surprise to find them available in image processing packages too. While I like these effects myself, most of the ones currently available take a sort of sledgehammer approach, splattering the image around indiscriminately so that all detail is lost. I've long craved a filter that could produce diffusion, but preserve details, and this is my attempt to write one.

	You can, of course, use this filter on any kind of image, but portraits tend to work particularly well. Here, we have a nice high-key portrait of Ms Christina Aguilera (again. Sorry, ladies)
	There are three sliders, designated 'Spread', 'Strength' and 'Fuzziness'. At high 'Spread' settings, the effect becomes more like grain, so keep this slider at the low end unless that's what you're trying for. Strength, of course, controls the overall strength of the effect, while 'Fuzziness' controls the effectiveness with which detail is preserved.
	The default settings usually give a reasonable result for most portraits. However, be prepared to experiment to see what works best for any particular image.
	Here I've cranked up the fuzziness a little - note how the detail around the eyes is still preserved. NOTE This effect definitely cannot be appreciated from the thumbnails - click for a larger version!