That one was shot with my Canon EOS Digital Rebel with the stock 18-55mm lens and (if I recall) no tripod. According to the EXIF data, it was shot with 1/10 sec. shutter, F/3.5, no flash, and at a focal length of 22 mm (ISO 100).
In general, I've found that I get good results switching to Program AE mode ("P" mode for Canon products) under natural light with a tripod and no flash. Zooming in a little bit helps to blur the background.