Blurring the background???

[rluey29]

I have a Canon Powershot SD770 IS and I'm wanting to take some pictures of my kids outdoors but i want the background to appear blurry. I've read through the manual and can't seem to find out how to do it. I don't know anything about manually adjusting any settings either.

Can someone help me?

[RCDisneyFan]

What you're talking about is creating a shallower depth of field. I don't know if you have aperture controls on that camera.. If you do, setting your aperture to the lowest number you can will do that. I'm sure your camera has a setting for portraits - it would do that for you.

[minie_meese]

May daughter has this camera and it works really well. You will want to use the "portrait" setting. I have not used her camera but I have looked at it. I think the portrait setting is selected from the little round wheel on the back by pressing the 9 o'clock position until you get the portrait setting showing up on the LCD. Portrait usually is indicated by a picture of a person's profile. As you click through the settings you will also see things like a flower which means macro I think and mountains which means scenery. Using the portrait setting will force the f stop to it's lowest setting, something like f2.8. Try to stay fairly close to your kids when taking the pictures and keep them as far away from the background as possible.

Play around with this and you shoudl get iot to work.

[webshark3]

As said, play around and yet can get it to work. I hate the portrait mode personally. On a small sensor camera, it's really only possible with macro.

If you're feeling more scientific :) :
http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

[Anewman]

largest aperture setting possible(smallest number)
camera as close to subject as possible(with desired framing, shoot wide)
subject as far from background as possible

[rluey29]

I think I have tried using the portrait setting to achieve that effect before but it didn't do what I was expecting. I will try to play around with it.

[bob100]

the blurred background effect is difficult if you can't change the aperture but you can always "photoshop" it like this -
http://www.oman3d.com/tutorials/photoshop/video/gradient_mask_blur.php