Hi! I'm new here, with a question on the Canon Powershot G12

[mjhoward]

and right there it said, "How to get blurred backgrounds" and I read it and now I know what an "aperture" is for! THAT is how to get those blurred backgrounds!

All other things being equal, yes a larger aperture will give you shallower depth of field (more out of focus background). But there are several other things that you can do to also create shallower depth of field. One of the things being the sensor size. A smaller sensor will keep the background more in focus than a larger sensor given the same focal length. Your focal length and distance to your subject will also play a big role in depth of field. Check this out to see what I mean:Exploring How Focal Length Affects Images

he subject looks pretty much the same size in each of the photos taken but the backgrounds are completely different. Each shot was taken with a different focal length and the photographer move closer and further away to frame the subject the same.

 

[Tiberius47]

I had thought of getting a digital SLR, but there is simply a part of me that knows I won't understand it or learn to operate it.

Rubbish. It's just not that hard. There's only three things you need to know about, really, and they aren't difficult. Read the links in my signature. They'll give you a firm foundation in the basics of what you need to know.

 

[ernestwalker]

Any type of camera can do that even on a mobile phone. That was only a mode in camera just try to find the close up mode. Then apply it and you can now get the main focus of the camera on the rose and the background will blur automatically.