How to apply zoom blur to an image?

Select your file, drag the center handle to the focal point, set the strength, then export.

What does Zoom Blur simulate?

It simulates a camera zooming during a long exposure, creating radial streaks emanating outward from a center point.

Can I change the center point of the zoom blur?

Yes, drag the center handle to set the focal point from which the blur streaks radiate.

Is this tool free to use?

Yes — completely free, no account needed. Your images are processed entirely in your browser and never uploaded to a server. Downloads have no watermarks.

BrushCue Tool

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What you can expect

Zoom Blur simulates the effect of a camera zooming during exposure, creating streaks that radiate outward from a specified center point. The center remains relatively sharp while surrounding areas blur along radial lines. The strength parameter controls how pronounced the motion and streaking appear.

Related tools

More BrushCue tools that fit this workflow.

See all tools →

Camera Moving Distortion

This tool simulates the effect of camera movement during a photo capture. It overlays two instances of the same image and blends them using a configurable alpha value to produce the effect. You can control both the blending strength and the positional offset between the two overlays to introduce subtle motion, depth, or a sense of energy—useful for adding realism, emphasizing motion, or creating a more dynamic, cinematic feel in otherwise static images.

Gaussian Blur

Apply Gaussian blur to images in your browser. Soften details, create depth effects, or prepare backgrounds quickly and for free.

Box Blur

This online Box Blur tool applies a simple averaging filter to soften an image and reduce noise. It is fast and predictable, making it useful for quick previews, testing, or educational purposes. Under normal circumstances, use the Gaussian Blur tool instead for smoother, more natural-looking results.

Liquify

A Liquify image editing tool that distorts an image using wave-based deformation. Amplitude controls the strength of the distortion, while frequency determines how smooth or tightly rippled the effect appears, enabling precise, parameter-driven liquify effects.

Swirl

Creates a swirl effect at a point your choose in your image. Control the magnitude of the effect with a angle given in radians and the radius of the effect.

Frequently asked questions

How to apply zoom blur to an image?: Select your file, drag the center handle to the focal point, set the strength, then export.
What does Zoom Blur simulate?: It simulates a camera zooming during a long exposure, creating radial streaks emanating outward from a center point.
Can I change the center point of the zoom blur?: Yes, drag the center handle to set the focal point from which the blur streaks radiate.
Is this tool free to use?: Yes — completely free, no account needed. Your images are processed entirely in your browser and never uploaded to a server. Downloads have no watermarks.

For developers

Use Zoom Blur from Python

Open the Jupyter notebook example to see how to run this tool from the BrushCue Python API, inspect the processing steps, and adapt the workflow for scripts or batch image jobs.

View Python notebook

Build your own

Add Zoom Blur to Image Online

What you can expect

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Zoom Blur Is Updated

Frequently asked questions

Use Zoom Blur from Python

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