Photo Techniques: Panning

[Major Nikon]

Photographing moving subjects is always a bit tricky. Certainly one way to do it is just to use a really fast shutter speed, but this method stops everything in the photo and doesn't convey motion very well unless you slow your shutter speed down enough to blur the subject a bit. Panning is another technique which can be used. The method itself is pretty simple. You just move the camera in sync with the object and release the shutter while continuing to move the camera. The result is a relatively sharp subject with a blurred background which can produce dramatic results that convey motion.

While the concept is simple enough, the execution is not. Focus becomes problematic. As far as autofocus goes, if you don't have a high end SLR that can track fast moving targets, the camera may never allow shutter release to occur, or if it does the subject may be out of focus. You also need a fairly steady hand that can move the camera in a fluid motion along with the subject. If your camera doesn't have a fast autofocus system, all is not lost. If your camera allows manual focusing, you can focus on a spot at the right distance to the point at which you want to release your shutter. As you are panning when you get to that point you release the shutter. If your camera has shutter lag, you may need to press the shutter release before you get there. The shutter speed you use depends on how fast your subject is moving, and how much of the effect you want. In the picture below, my shutter speed was 1/160 which wasn't slow enough to produce a very dramatic effect, but it was fast enough to make the effort relatively easy. The slower shutter speed you use also means you have to be more precise with your technique.

I use this technique often at airshows, where I'm photographing fast moving planes. If you want to photograph these types of events or races of most any type, it's a handy tool to carry in your bag of tricks.

[Celebration]

1. yeah, it's hard

Birds flying comes to mind! It usually doesn't work out that great for me, but sometimes it does, so it is worth a try. Birds aren't quite as predictable as motorcycles that stay at a steady speed on the road. Or maybe that is an excuse???

[Major Nikon]

2. Shooting birds on the wing is a whole nother ball of wax

I never was very good at it. Those who are employ a whole set of skills that allow them to do it.

[rDigital]

3. Solid post, Major. Every photographer should have panning skills in their repertoire. nt

[groundloop]

4. Here's one shot with a "lowly" Digital Rebel

Here's one of my daughter's teammates on the high school cross country team. I took it last year with a Canon Digital Rebel, which I've since passed on to my son. I think the biggest thing to pulling of a panned shot is to plan ahead, plus having some luck on your side.




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[Major Nikon]

7. That's pretty much a perfect panning shot

The idea is not so much a perfectly sharp photo, but one that does show some movement.

[Stevenmarc]

5. It's one of those techniques

that you really should train like an athlete and practice a lot so that you actually build a muscle memory for it. I have a friend that loves a panning shot, and he's damn good at it and he shoots a lot of them from the hip, he knows his camera, he can calculate speed and distance on the fly and he has his movement down pat, he's a panning ninja.

[Major Nikon]

6. I don't practice it that often

It's more hit and miss with me. It generally takes me a few shots to get the shutter speed and exposure correct. After getting everything set correctly most of my shots are OK, but I always wind up with many throw away shots.