Selective Focusing on the A540

I just bought an A540 and am experimenting with the different settings and features.

However, I've been trying to get it to shoot on a narrower depth-of-field in non-macro mode. For macro-mode I'm quite satisfied as this mode throws everything in the backbround out of focus, which is the effect I want for non-macro.

I've tried manual and Av modes on the largest aperture setting but I still can't get the effect I want.

Appreciate tips, thanks...

Due to very short focal length of the lens the depth of field is very deep when you shoot with P&S camera like A540 - this is why achieving shallow depth of field with a P&S is very difficult and in some situations - impossible. You can try to position your subject and the background in a way that the subject is relatively close to the camera and the background is very far. Let's say, 20cm from camera to subject and 2-3 meters from subject to background (remember to use the widest possible aperture setting and the longest zoom).