Digital cameras forum: Got that SLR? well then show me how to blur the background!

You need to us a small f/stop number; so shoot in Aperture priority (A on your mode dial on the D60)and keep the lens opened up as far as possible. Focus on your subject and the background should be relatively unfocused. You can't get there in Auto mode.

If you have your 18-55mm at 55mm then the aperture should be at F5.6. The ghosting your talking about seems to be the the shutter speed increasing and leaving the shutter open too long. If that's the case, then did you actually close the aperture, say F16 or something.

Really, you need to just learn how to use the camera properly. A really good book, that you can find at almost any book store or library, is called "Understanding Exposure". Photography isn't rocket science, but you do need to know the basics, like if you shoot with your aperture wide open on a consumer lens then the shot will look soft compared to stopping it down a couple of stops(you'll know what that means from studying a little).

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-Updated/dp/0817463003

Seems to me like you are confusing the f-stops ... it is the lowest possible number you should set it to. On your lens that means 5.6 if you are fully zoomed in. That should increase your shutter speed, not decrease it. The more open - the more light - the shorter shutter speed.

To get the best effect you need to zoom all the way in - and then move away from you subject until you frame it like you want. You should see a rather shallow depth of field then.

If you really want to have that blurry background effect, your best choice is to get a prime lens - that can go down to f2.0 or even better f1.4. Then you can create effects like

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adambindslev/3353488814/in/set-72157610481139902/

and

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adambindslev/3220656316/in/set-72157612857567063/

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The subject you are looking for is "Depth of Field".
"Field" is the area that is in sharpest focus (front to back).

This is controlled by the aperture setting.
Here is a brief explanation:

http://www.shortcourses.com/use/using1-9.html

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There is a harmony between aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings.

A camera needs the exact same amount of light every time to get the perfect exposure.
That means ... on a bright sunny day there is too much ambient light so the camera must control the total amount of light that enters the camera.
It can do that by using a darker aperture setting, or a faster shutter speed or a lower ISO setting ... or all three.

In dim light, the camera must gather more light to get that same exact amount of light it needs for a perfect exposure.
It does that by using a brighter aperture setting, or a slower shutter speed or a higher ISO setting ... or all three.

Here is a link to something I wrote on this subject, that may explain it better:

http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7593_102-0.html?messageID=2901100&tag=forums06;posts#2901100

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I was taking pictures of my Granddaughter and wanted to get the same effect as you where she would stand out.
I took the attached picture with my canon 40D, Cannon 55-250mm lens @ 171mm.
I set the camera on fully automatic and got the effect I wanted. I have done the same thing with my 17-70mm Sigma lens in the portrait mode.
The settings for this picture came out at 1/200sec. F5.6 and a ISO of 400.
I am sure the Nikon cameras have similar features.
Give that a try and see how they turn out.


http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc44/mopscare42/IMG_3747-2.jpg

After seeing your picture and thinking of having my girlfriend staged just like that in central park i started taking random pictures with futile results. I even reset my settings (not knowing that only resets the clock) to try and see if i had been the enzyme that leveraged those results and indeed i was. My problem was the focus mode. It was in MF mode and not in auto focus mode. i HAVE NO IDEA WHAT MF means but it basically kept my camera from taking to account where i aimed and had a pre-set focus distance. I am now able to blur the background and pretty much the aperture isn't making that big of a difference from what i can tell, the iso in the other hand i did notice keeps the picture from having that blurriness that i pointed out before. GREATTTTTTTTTTT pictures ahead.

If i was interested in reading the manual wouldnt have asked for help.
If you have nothing substancial to suggest, i will lead you to another link (http://www.amazon.com/How-Lose-Guy-10-Days/dp/0553380079)
maybe thats what you need to be doing...

The more you want to blur depends on the aperture, distance from the subject, and focal length. The reason he got a somewhat blurry background was because the camera chose to open the aperture up as much as that lens could, the subject was far, and he was using a longer focal length.

if your camera lets you control iso ("film" speed) set it faster. or add more light to get shutter speed up. or use a tripod- set the shutter release for a short delay like the 3 second delay most cameras have to reduce vibration

the whole point in here was that i have slr camera that i cant get to blur the background. Obviously i don't or didn't know how to do it so decided to come here were folks know what to suggest and talk about. obviously, have I known how to do it, i would have just maybe said let me show you how to blur the image, but it says, show me..... don't know how much simpler to explain than that.
Any case, you are now banned from posting crap in this thread, i now know how to blur the image and it's not thanks to your "expertise" which so far has been nothing more than a relentless blunt of arrogant crap and self assuring ego. Please just back up will ya?

Forums are places where people advice others that need help. You dont help so you shouldn't be posting here, get it?
The fact that i wouldn't read the manual, or that i didn't understand, further illustrated the fact that i needed help and thus started this thread. I have been very humble with whom ever has suggested a solution, because i appreciate it. You in the other hand, simply here trying to show that you know something but cant explain it is self depicting of your lack of it. Please go to a republican site to show your demoting ego,Here is about help, and thanks to everybody that help me solve my problem, thanks!!!

I don't want this to become a personal rant so, I will just tell you this. Although basically I found my problem on my own it was because the suggestions I got iniciated an elimination process that let me to find my mistake. I don't understand your obsession

I did find the obove suggestions by experimenting, like you said.
I did mess arround with my camera alot and never got any results.
After practicing with your suggestions i started getting some really nice pictures. I went online, saw video tutorials and never really got it, this discussion though got me going. Is all about having the right settings and you guys really helped alot, best regards and thanks!