Being a complete novice I have no idea how to do this.  I see lots of close-ups of things, usually flowers with sharp focused items but out of focus backgrounds.  I would love to do something like that but don't know how.

Here is an example I borrowed from Oldboy's Gallery - I hope he doesn't mind - but this is the sort of thing I would like to do.

http://community.dcmag.co.uk/photos/oldboys_gallery/images/285759/thumb.aspx

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Cheers
Moon

Camera = Fuji FinePix S6500fd
Moonlustie's Gallery

No don't mind. It's just the DOF that produces the effect. In this case it was a 60mm F2.8 macro lens, and when you focus close to the subject in P or auto mode the aperture will be around F2.8 to F4 and will blur the background. If you haven't got a macro lens, then try it with a normal lens at the lowest F number it will support. You can also use aperture priority on the camera, by selecting the lowest F number your lens will support.

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SK
The Best Photographer in the world 4th November - 5th November 2006 & 17th-18 November 2007
Oldboy’s Gallery

Oh thanks so much, something to play with when I go home from work tonight

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Cheers
Moon

Camera = Fuji FinePix S6500fd
Moonlustie's Gallery

have a play around with this

 

You'll see the effect simulated...

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Pete B(BPITW -5 times)
http://www.christianblandford.com/
DCM
flickr

Thank you both for your help.  I wasn't busy at work this afternoon so had time to sneakily play around - this was the best I could manage - is it because I use a bridge camera and am using the lowest end of the lens that I can't totally blur it?

Sorry for the content - I had to use what was on my desk LOL!

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Cheers
Moon

Camera = Fuji FinePix S6500fd
Moonlustie's Gallery

That's fine moon. Has your bridge camera got a macro setting, like a flower symbol on your setting wheel? If so use that when taking macro shots and you will get better results with your camera. Both shots posted work very well and show you have got the idea.

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SK
The Best Photographer in the world 4th November - 5th November 2006 & 17th-18 November 2007
Oldboy’s Gallery

Thanks OldBoy - yes have macro (WA: 10cm-3m TF: 90cm-3m) and super macro (1cm-1m)... yeah thought I had it cracked, went for a walk tonight and took this flower and it failed miserably! ROFLMAO!

More practice required obviously

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Cheers
Moon

Camera = Fuji FinePix S6500fd
Moonlustie's Gallery

moonlustie:

Thanks OldBoy - yes have macro (WA: 10cm-3m TF: 90cm-3m) and super macro (1cm-1m)... yeah thought I had it cracked, went for a walk tonight and took this flower and it failed miserably! ROFLMAO!



More practice required obviously

 

There needs to be more distance between the in focus subject and the background.

Bridge cameras and compacts have smaller sensors which have a larger DOF making it harder to take these kinds of photos.

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Adrian's right. Compact and bridge cameras come into their own in macro terms when you get in really close. If you'd just focussed on a section of the leaf or the berries you should get a very effective result, with a decent amount of the subject in focus and everything else blurred. That's why you got a better result when you focussed in really close on desktop objects.

Try with some smaller objects and play with the effect of changing the distance between them and the background to see what works and doesn't.

 

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My DCM Gallery

Thank you both, that's really helpful - thought I was being a complete dunce!

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Cheers
Moon

Camera = Fuji FinePix S6500fd
Moonlustie's Gallery