1. 1. Load the photo
Yes, you are right, this fruit photo is not very dynamic, and no zoom
effect will make an action photo out of it, but it is perfect to illustrate
the concept by highlighting the middle fruit. The procedure below
can be used to enhance action-packed shots (say, of car or
motorcycle races, skateboard competitions), or even portraits.
If we applied zoom blur to the picture, the whole of it would become
blurred. Our first task is to select the area we want to leave sharp,
i.e., the main theme.

2. 2. In the focus
In this case, this is the fruit in the middle. Of course, you can select
any element in a picture, and don't have to keep to the middle.
Select Elliptical Marquee from the Tools palette (or press M). If it's
not the active one, click the icon and hold the mouse button pressed
until you can select it from the dropdown.
Draw a selection around the main theme and be sure to leave
enough space on the sides.

3. 3. Polishing the selection
We have a small task left with the selection. First, we have to blur
its edges for a soft transition. Right-click inside the selection, and
select Feather from the dropdown. We set a 30-pixel soft edge on
the dialog that is displayed, as the image is rather small. For high-
resolution images, you can safely use a value from 50 to 150
pixels.
Second, click Select Inverse from the same context menu. Until
now, the main theme was selected. After inverting, the surrounding
areas are. This is what we need, as they are to be blurred.
4. Zoomed
Now we can apply the zoom blur effect by clicking
Filter/Blur/Radial Blur. The Amount slider specifies blur strength.
A value of 10 to 15 should be enough.
Select Zoom under Blur Method. Spin makes the picture move
horizontally, while Zoom pulls it towards the corners. Under
Quality, you have different options. Even if it is the slowest, you
should choose Best.

4. 5. An action-packed fruit
When you're ready, press Ctrl+D to cancel the selection. The result
will be something like this. The main topic is highlighted much more
effectively, and the zoom blur lends some dynamics to the photo. As
the effect is even better with pictures showing real movement, grab
some and try it!