diff --git a/examples/image_ex.cpp b/examples/image_ex.cpp
index e050a12d2..72a05402e 100644
--- a/examples/image_ex.cpp
+++ b/examples/image_ex.cpp
@@ -45,12 +45,15 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         // to BMP files.
         load_image(img, argv[1]);
 
-        // Now lets use some image functions.  This example is going to perform
-        // simple edge detection on the image.  First lets find the horizontal and
-        // vertical gradient images.
+
+        // Now lets use some image functions.  First lets blur the image a little.
+        array2d<unsigned char> blurred_img;
+        gaussian_blur(img, blurred_img); 
+
+        // Now find the horizontal and vertical gradient images.
         array2d<short> horz_gradient, vert_gradient;
         array2d<unsigned char> edge_image;
-        sobel_edge_detector(img, horz_gradient, vert_gradient);
+        sobel_edge_detector(blurred_img, horz_gradient, vert_gradient);
 
         // now we do the non-maximum edge suppression step so that our edges are nice and thin
         suppress_non_maximum_edges(horz_gradient, vert_gradient, edge_image);