\"Foveated imaging is a digital image processing technique in which the image resolution, or amount of detail, varies across the image according to one or more \"fixation po
Something along the following lines may work for you. The filtering details should be adjusted to your tastes.
lena = ExampleData[{"TestImage", "Lena"}]
ImageDimensions[lena]
==> {512, 512}
mask = DensityPlot[-Exp[-(x^2 + y^2)/5], {x, -4, 4}, {y, -4, 4},
Axes -> None, Frame -> None, Method -> {"ShrinkWrap" -> True},
ColorFunction -> GrayLevel, ImageSize -> 512]
Show[ImageFilter[Mean[Flatten[#]] &, lena, 20, Masking -> mask], ImageSize -> 512]