Help with focusing

[GarethD79]

Can anyone please give me some advice on how to keep the photo subject focused but the background blured?? i

[PaulMontgomery]

Use as long a focal length as possible, get as close as possible and open the lens up (lowest f/number) as possible. Then double check that when the camera focuses it has got the right bit.

[Cutter]

One more to add to the above try to get your subject from being to close to the background. check out some of my bird shots in my gallery.

[donoreo]

You need to shoot in AV (or A on your D40) and open up the aperture. If you jsut have the kit lens this will be f/4-5.6 depending on the zoom. Keep the subject away from the back ground and make sure the focus point you are using is on the subject. This will blur the background nicely.

If you have been shooting in Auto or Program mode. It is time to lose the fear!

[GarethD79]

Thanks for the advice guys. Donoreo i have had my D40 over a year and don't know half of its features so i know exactly what you mean about losing the fear!!

[donoreo]

Originally Posted by GarethD79

Thanks for the advice guys. Donoreo i have had my D40 over a year and don't know half of its features so i know exactly what you mean about losing the fear!!

Just try out some of the tutorials, watch some of the videos, etc. You can always set it back to the defaults. You probably need to read (or re-read) the fine manual as well. Then things will make more sense when they say "do this" turn this on or off" etc.

[xavier]

Hi Garethd79
I have a Nikon D40 myself, I think there a great camera, but thats just me. I think you want to do a portrait, yes. well I think what you need to do is get either a monopod or a tripod from a friend and take the camera off auto focas & use mannual focas. if this dose not work try a single focus lense. by the way you didn't mention the types of lenses you had?

[GarethD79]

i have the 18-55mm kit lens and a sigma 55-200mm

[xavier]

I have an 18-55 & 55-200 by Nikon myself. In your first posting you say you want to blur the back ground, yes most lanses have a switch on the side so you can go auto or mannual focas. Useing the mannual focas on the lense you can do this

[donoreo]

Originally Posted by xavier

I have an 18-55 & 55-200 by Nikon myself. In your first posting you say you want to blur the back ground, yes most lanses have a switch on the side so you can go auto or mannual focas. Useing the mannual focas on the lense you can do this

He is not talking about focus in that way. He is talking about "bokeh" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh