# Photos with soft edges that blend into your video

> In Tella, ask the Tella Agent to place your image with Tella Motion and give it soft edges. It adds a rectangle, ellipse or custom path mask with a feather amount in pixels, so the edges fade out. Use it as its own clip, an overlay or b-roll, and ask for more or less softness.

Page: https://www.tella.com/motion/feather-image-edges · Part of Tella Motion (https://www.tella.com/help/editing/tella-motion)

## How do I feather or soften the edges of an image in a video?

In Tella, ask the [Tella Agent](https://www.tella.com/agent) to place your image with [Tella Motion](https://www.tella.com/help/editing/tella-motion) and give it soft edges. It adds a rectangle, ellipse or custom path mask with a feather amount in pixels, so the edges fade out. Use it as its own clip, an overlay or b-roll, and ask for more or less softness.

## Prompt to start from

```text
Make a Tella Motion clip with the attached photo centered on a dark navy background. Add an ellipse mask with 80 px of feather. Fade it in over one second, zoom in 10 percent over eight seconds, then fade out.
```

## More prompts

### Educator

```text
Show the attached water cycle diagram as a Tella Motion overlay on the right half of the frame. Use a rounded rectangle mask with 40 px of feather. Fade it in at "evaporation" and out six seconds later.
```

### Real estate listing

```text
Make a Tella Motion clip from the three attached listing photos, four seconds each, on a warm white background. Use a 100 px feathered ellipse mask, crossfade between them, and add "42 Maple Lane" in dark gray at the bottom.
```

## How to do it in Tella

1. Open the Tella Agent chat, or choose [Add clip → New Tella Motion clip](https://www.tella.com/help/editing/tella-motion#add-a-tella-motion-clip).
2. Attach the image or name one in your [Media Library](https://www.tella.com/help/editing/use-media).
3. Say whether it plays as its own clip, an overlay or b-roll, and when.
4. Ask for a mask shape and feather, like an ellipse with 80 px.

## Good to know

- Available to everyone: through the Tella Agent on a paid plan or the 7-day trial, or through Claude or ChatGPT on any plan.
- A vignette darkens or tints the edges instead of making them transparent. Use a feathered mask to fade into the background.
- Tella Motion clips have no transcript, layouts or cuts. To time a photo to your words, use an overlay or b-roll.
- To use a new image, generate it in the Media Library first, then ask the agent to use it.

## Questions people ask

### What does feathering an image mean?

Feathering fades an image's border out gradually over a set distance instead of ending in a sharp line. In Tella Motion you set the feather in pixels, and larger values give a wider fade.

### Can I feather image edges with Claude or ChatGPT?

Yes, through Tella's [MCP server](https://www.tella.com/mcp). The assistant places your image in a Tella Motion document, adds a feathered mask and shows it as a clip, overlay or b-roll. You can still edit it in the Tella editor.

### Can I use a custom shape for the soft edge?

Yes. Besides rectangles and ellipses, a Tella Motion mask can follow a custom path, and you can add, subtract, intersect or invert masks. The feather follows the edge of the mask.

## Related

- [Animated looping backgrounds without stock footage](https://www.tella.com/motion/animated-video-background.md): Moving backdrops built from shapes and effects
- [Branded wipe transitions timed to your words](https://www.tella.com/motion/animated-wipe-transitions.md): Branded wipes between the sections of your video.
- [Generate b-roll for the parts you talk over](https://www.tella.com/agent/ai-b-roll-generator.md): Clips and images for the parts you talk over
- [Create motion graphics with Tella Motion](https://www.tella.com/help/editing/tella-motion)
- [Add overlays](https://www.tella.com/help/editing/overlays)
- [Use media in your video](https://www.tella.com/help/editing/use-media)
- [All of Tella's AI features](https://www.tella.com/ai.md)