Not getting the Aperture I am wanting?

I just got a new Nikon D5100 and am still getting all of the different settings figured out. I am working on the aperture setting and am not getting hardly any blur. I have watched the video, read the manual, and I think I am setting the camera up like it says, but it just isn't working. I have tried both my 18-55 and 55-200 lenses and at all kinds of different directions. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I may be doing wrong? I am starting to get really frustrated with it.

What do you mean by "blurring"? Are you hoping to take a photo of something moving and have that show up with a slight blur? Is that what you mean?

I think you are shooting too far from your subject. Try being as close as possible, a flower in a vase, open the aperture up wide (low number), focus on the flower and snap the picture. That will blur out the back ground - shallow depth of field.

If you are back a ways then this does not work so well. Further you get back the more it all falls into the same focus point - not blurry.

If your talking about background blur... use lowest aperture possible (widest), zoom all the way in with a zoom, and move your subject far from the background, and get close to the subject.

If you're talking about a blurry subject like motion, just drink a bunch of red bull, and don't use a tripod. haha.

Love it Mfrankfort, great image in my head.

Pictures&Boots said:

I just got a new Nikon D5100 and am still getting all of the different settings figured out. I am working on the aperture setting and am not getting hardly any blur. I have watched the video, read the manual, and I think I am setting the camera up like it says, but it just isn't working. I have tried both my 18-55 and 55-200 lenses and at all kinds of different directions. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I may be doing wrong? I am starting to get really frustrated with it.

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That's just great (insert your name here, since you didn't present yourself before posting). Frustration often leads to learning. It would be easier for us to help you if you'd try to show us what you wanted to do and what your expectations were.

Having a new camera does not mean creating masterpieces at will. There is a learning curve and depending on where you start from, it's steeper or longer for some.

Try to explain what you want to do and maybe post an image to show what you've done so far.

Hope to help more next time.

Welcome to Nikonites and enjoy your Nikon!

If you are after a blurred background, take a look at this video about understanding depth of field

Good luck!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1zddRhJhog&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Tap'n on the Galaxy S3

And if you are shooting at the long end of those zoom lenses you have you not may get the backgrounds you want due to the higher minimum aperture.

Sorry for the poor explanation. I was not wanting a blurry picture due to camera movement (if I did I would have just giving the camera to my 4 year old!)...Lol! Most of you knew what I was talking about and the explanations and video helped. I was too far from my focus point and my focus point was too close to the back ground.

I'm not expecting perfect...the camera is awesome, but I still need work! So I am just trying for figure one thing out at a time!

All good. Welcome and enjoy the new toy!

As others have mentioned if you are using the zoom function on the lens you will notice the aperture number also increase (meaning less blurred images).

Is it portrait photos you are interested in?

I want portraits, but also flowers and other objects. I think I have the basics figured out, it just takes me a little bit to adjust everything to get what I want. I am sure it will come easier with more practice.

The Best $15 You Can Spend...

Pictures&Boots said:

I want portraits, but also flowers and other objects. I think I have the basics figured out, it just takes me a little bit to adjust everything to get what I want. I am sure it will come easier with more practice.

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Do yourself a huge favor and get a copy of the D5100 Digital Field Guide. It will not only better explain the different functions of your camera, and go into more detail than the included manual, it will also *show* you what those different settings will look like when applied in different shooting situations. Once you have an idea what to expect from the different settings you can begin to apply them and start getting, good, repeatable results. It's what the manual that came with your camera *should* have been.

If you can find it, get a copy of the Nikon magazine N-Photo its been out 12 months now and I found it by accident. Its a good read for those getting a DSLR and helped me to start understand why and what for, in general its good read as well

Its available in electronic format, but I prefer hard copies to browse through but the back issues are getting harder for early issues. I can't get issue one in magazine format as a back issue and nothing on ebay

nikon magazine | N-Photo

I also bought the dummies guide to D3100 and personally found it too simplistic so hardly touched it but the field guides are very good

Ooo a whole mag for us N heads, didn't know that.