photo course in session

Well, I know this is my second post, but lately I've been upset with my camera. I have a Canon Digital Rebel. I got a kick butt lense from DH for Christmas, but I still am unhappy with the results. So, I set out on the Internet today to find a photography course that could help me learn how to use my camera better. OK, so I only completed lesson 2, but I can already see an improvment. One thing I've been wanting to learn how to do is to blur the background. I USED to be able to do this, but now I can't figure anything out! But, I think I learned some pretty cool tricks! The first picture shows how I would have taken a shot and how frustrated I would be over it. The second, shows how I messed with the lighting setting and the ISO speed. I think there is a huge improvement and I got the look I wanted . . .a blured background.