How to add a Gaussian blur to an image in Python

Let’s cut right to the chase: here’s the absolute easiest way to create a Gaussian blur effect using Python.

Install our API client with pip install, the command for which is shown here:

pip install cloudmersive-image-api-client

We should write out our function call next and specify its parameters:

from __future__ import print_function
import time
import cloudmersive_image_api_client
from cloudmersive_image_api_client.rest import ApiException
from pprint import pprint
# Configure API key authorization: Apikey
configuration = cloudmersive_image_api_client.Configuration()
configuration.api_key['Apikey'] = 'YOUR_API_KEY'
# Uncomment below to setup prefix (e.g. Bearer) for API key, if needed
# configuration.api_key_prefix['Apikey'] = 'Bearer'
# create an instance of the API class
api_instance = cloudmersive_image_api_client.FilterApi(cloudmersive_image_api_client.ApiClient(configuration))
radius = 56 # int | Radius in pixels of the blur operation; a larger radius will produce a greater blur effect
sigma = 56 # int | Sigma, or variance, of the gaussian blur operation
image_file = '/path/to/file' # file | Image file to perform the operation on.  Common file formats such as PNG, JPEG are supported.
try:
# Perform a guassian blur on the input image
api_response = api_instance.filter_gaussian_blur(radius, sigma, image_file)
pprint(api_response)
except ApiException as e:
print("Exception when calling FilterApi->filter_gaussian_blur: %s\n" % e)

Now we need to provide filter_gaussian_blur with an image, radius, and sigma to create our effect. That’s really all there is to it; the API will created the blurred image and then return a URL for its download location. Let’s give it a whirl on this crisp image here:

Our results look like this with a radius of 10 and sigma of 5:

Softened up quite a bit.