taking portrait type shots

[udeleng]

I wanted to take a picture of objects where the object in the distance or in front of a certain object are blurred. I set it to portrait but everything in the shot was in focus. The object I was photographing was close to the lens, maybe 1 ft. Was that too close to get the effect? I zoomed in a much as I could, but them the object didn't fill the entire image space. :?

Can anyone recommend any additional books or guide ho help me make the best of my A70? It's my first camera.

Thanks. :?

[maderito]

You might get more help on the "Small Compact Digitals" part of the board.

The principal is straightforward: zoom in and open the lens wide.

See this topic thread for further help: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=107&highlight=portrait

[stopbath]

Any camera with a portrait mode will prefer to take a shot with the aperture wide open, but will need to close down if overexposure would result.

All the 'modes' offered will 'prefer' to shoot with the trait asked for (big or small aperture or fast or slow shutter speed) but can fall prey to conditions that prohibit the desired effect (too bright or too dark.)

[Judder]

You could also try to use the blur tool in photoshop on the foreground and background to enhance your subject.