How do you take pictures like this?

[CagneyDog]

http://www.petfinder.org/fotos/BC52/...601959-1-x.jpg

I saw this picture posted in the petfinder wish you had thread. I'm a complete idiot whne it comes to camera's, so to most of you this is probably a really stupid question ...but...how do you take a picture where it is focused in on one thing (in this case the dog) and kind of unfocused and blurry in the background?

[Kfamr]

With a good camera. My camera does that automatically on the right setting.

[CagneyDog]

Originally posted by Kfamr
With a good camera. My camera does that automatically on the right setting.

What setting?

[swimma253]

I believe you use the Macro Setting... on my camera its a little flower. At least thats how I do it.

p.s. Kay, thanks for using my sig!!

[CagneyDog]

Originally posted by swimma253
I believe you use the Macro Setting... on my camera its a little flower. At least thats how I do it.

Okay, I have a macro lens on my camera...I think.

Thanks

Is that what you use Kay?

[catnapper]

I've been wondering the same. I had a great text book from college (my one photography class... and I completely forgot everything I learned! )

I want to be able to do it myself, using the manual settings. I know there's a way, but I'm not patient enough to figure it out myself... what F-stop? Or is it the ISO that determines it?

[Giselle]

I have a problem with Macro because it only works with non-flash and still objects and me being REALLY still. I'm confused as to how to use it on moving objects

[CagneyDog]

Ok I just tried it. It is hard to get it focused...

Giselle, Mine works with flash?

[Karen]

Most macro lenses work on small objects, or on objects only a certain number of inches from the screen.

You need a narrow range of focus, which I used to be able to do on my nothing-automatic-about-it 35mm. Now, I'd just take a normal picture, select the background, and Gaussian blur it, but hey, that's me!

[CagneyDog]

Originally posted by Karen

Now, I'd just take a normal picture, select the background, and Gaussian blur it, but hey, that's me!

How do you do that?

[Freckles]

You wouldn't use a macro lens or setting on something as large as a dog. Manually set at F16 and focus right on the nose or a little above. (I think!)

[slleipnir]

I put mine to portrait mode and it's something lke that (the little head icon)

http://tainted-sky.net/photo//fav/IMG_1399b.jpg a photo for example

[Giselle]

CagneyDog, well I mean the Macro and Flash together take a picture, but it doesn't create the softened/blended background effect. It's just like taking a normal pic

Freckles, excuse my ignorance, but what in the heck is "F16"? LOL, I'm *really* bad at this camera stuff. Also, slleipnir, I always have the camera set to the little head (portrait?) but it never comes out like your picture of the bird! Are you sure you don't have other settings on your camera going on?

[Kfamr]

This pic of Ki:

I just used the action setting and zoomed in on her.
No flash or anything. I've also used the macro setting before to get the same effect. Zooming in and focusing on the object you want clear works as well.

[anna_66]

I use the portrait setting on my camera