What Camera Effect do I use?

Question

I was wondering how people take a picture where the person in the photo is in focus but the background isn't. Please help...I am trying to take my own headshots.

Answer 1

Unfortunately it's hard to do creative things like that on a point-and-shoot camera. Your best bet is to put it in "portrait" mode.

Answer 2

The trick to doing that is called "selective focus". You achieve it by selecting a wide lens aperture. You'll need to use the corresponding fast shutter speed to maintain correct exposure, of course.

As lens aperture increases (larger aperture, lower 'f' number), depth of focus (aka depth of filed) decreases. This allows for a sharp subject plane with an out-of-focus background.

Answer 3

Normally this happens naturally buy using a SLR type camera with a zoom lens, focus on the subject will be sharp and the background out of focus.

If you can't do that with what you have, then it can also be done with software such as Photoshop.  

Answer 4

It's all about what's called depth of field. To make the subject in focus, but the rest blurry, you want a smaller depth a field.

To do this you would take the photo at a longer focal length (85-105mm) and open the aperature (f/2.5-f/4.5)