G11 : How to take photo's with blurred background?

Is there a easier way to do this? Say the object is 20 feet away, it's hard to focus on something with how small the LCD screen is. Maybe I'm doing it wrong? Won't just focusing in on a object, make everything behind it blurry? Well, I can't get that effect.

I don't remember my settings.

This question comes up regularly in this forum. You can do a search on "bokeh" even though I believe the term is wrongly used in this context. Anyway, when the question is asked, I always post this link to my blog and experiments with the G9: http://lightdescriptio​n.blogspot.com …-blurring-background.html

Yes, I know you asked about the G11 but it's all the same (nearly).

You need to be closer to the subject and open your aperture or halfway zoom 60mm or more and get a bit closer to the subject... There should be more technique to blur the background just by using a G12.

Eric Astin wrote in post #12436491
Won't just focusing in on a object, make everything behind it blurry?

Not necessarily, given the short focal length and relatively small maximum aperture typical of small sensor P&S camera lenses like the G's.

You will get minimum DOF (maximum "blur") with longer focal lengths, wider apertures, and/or closer subjects - but you don't have nearly as much ability to blur the background as with a DSLR equipped with a fast lens.

I did the following photo with my G11...macro, no flash, in brilliant sunshine, with my camera almost touching the webs. It hasn't been photoshopped or lightroomed.

Eric Astin wrote in post #12436491
Is there a easier way to do this? Say the object is 20 feet away, it's hard to focus on something with how small the LCD screen is. Maybe I'm doing it wrong? Won't just focusing in on a object, make everything behind it blurry? Well, I can't get that effect.

I don't remember my settings.

20 feet away? You can't with a G series. Simple answer.

I must say that my 2 photos in my previous post were both taken at a focal length of 6.1mm. I've taken photos with the focal point 18mm with the background slightly blurred. So you just have to get a lot closer than 20 feet to get a blurry effect I'm afraid!

mrshobden wrote in post #12439288

Creative and well...kinda Rolling Stone ish

Here's one that you can get from about 1.5 ft away zoomed in to 30.5 mm. The problem with a portrait would be that you would have to get so far back from your subject to get a face in the frame that it would render your background pretty darn sharp. I tried at 20 ft and a digital zoom of 20X (or the max whatever it it) and basically got a crummy shot.

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Digital zoom is basically just cropping the recorded image and blowing it up to full size. It does absolutely nothing in terms of enhancing the image quality.

open aperture is essential. also help yourself with longer focal length, go a few steps back and away from subject and use zoom.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/rzlatic/5719889​720/

Well, what I'm trying to do this pull off a simiar shot like this.

rzlatic wrote in post #12441378
open aperture is essential. also help yourself with longer focal length, go a few steps back and away from subject and use zoom.

I agree but there is the problem that the aperture of G series cameras decreases with the focal length, for a G9 example, see http://lightdescriptio​n.blogspot.com …variations-with-zoom.html

I've actually got some decent results with the bokeh. I did as rzlatic mentioned; step back a bit and zoom, but you do have to be quite close to the subject. Here's an example:

Do what you can and then add some pp blur on it afterwards to accentuate.