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1. First step in this is to get two snapshots from Second Life. You need to get one in Color mode, and the other in Depth mode.
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Note the pull down I circled in red. This is only possible with snapshots to disk.
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You should end up with two snapshots that look a little like...
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2. Next you need to move into Photoshop. (I am using CS2 in this example) Load both snapshots in and copy the depth snapshot to the color snapshot so you have two layers.
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Duplicate the Background layer at this point so you have two layers of the color snapshot below the depth snapshot layer. (To quickly create the copy make sure the background is selected and use [ctl]+[j] to duplicate the layer)
Now for the selection for the mask you will be using. There are many ways to make this selection but I find using the channels to be the quickest way here. Just goto the channels palette (tab next to layers) and [ctl] click on the red channel thumbnail.
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You should now see the "marching ants" selection around the lighter sections. Flip back to the layers palette, select the upper of the two color layers and then press the mask button. (in the following screenshot the hottip says "Vector Mask" this is cause I already made the layer mask)
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3. Now is the fun bit. First you are going to need to hide the top depth layer, Then make sure you have the layer and not the layer mask selected for the upper color layer. What you now have in that layer is the farthest away from the camera areas of the image on one layer, and the foreground on the background layer.
(If you wish this the other way round, ie. the background of the image on the background layer just select the layer mask and invert it, [ctl] + [i])
Now you can apply the actual blur. This is as simple as applying Gausian blur to which ever layer is your background.
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Personally I am never usually happy with what Second Life gives us for the depth map here. I generally like to tweak the layer mask with levels to increase the effect. You will need to play to get what looks good in your opinion.
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From what I have shown you you should have ended up with something like the next image.
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It fairly easy to extend this technique too. By duplicating the layer with the layer mask, inverting and playing a little more with levels it's possible to get even better depth of focus and to pick out the midground and blur the background and foreground.
You might also want to have a look into the Lens Blur filter, as it can deal with a layer mask as input too.
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(just be sure to disable the layer mask once you have applied your lensblur ;) )
With just lens blur, a photofilter layer and a hue/saturation layer I got this image in about 2-3 mins.
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