Marianne Martinez
Panning is a creative photography technique that conveys a sense of movement and adds drama to your shots. It involves moving the camera as you press the shutter button, resulting in a streaky, blurry background and a sharp subject. The key to achieving a good panning shot is mastering the right camera settings and practising the technique. This tutorial will guide you through the steps to capture stunning panning shots, covering everything from camera setup to advanced tips and tricks. By the end, you'll be able to add motion and energy to your photography, creating dynamic and artistic images that stand out.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Shutter speed | Slow (1/10 sec or longer) |
| Shutter speed range | 1/30 sec or slower |
| Shutter speed for faster-moving subjects | 1/200 or 1/400 sec |
| Shutter speed for cars | 1/50 sec |
| Shutter speed for birds in flight at dusk | 1/80 sec |
| Shutter speed for slow subjects | 1 second |
| Shutter speed for handheld faster-moving subjects | 200mm |
| Aperture | Medium/low |
| Image quality | f8 |
| Camera movement | Side-to-side, up and down, diagonally |
| Camera equipment | Tripod |
| Subject | Moving, e.g. car, biker, jogger, running animal |
| Subject position | Moving adjacent to your position |
| Subject focus | Head/face |
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What You'll Learn
Shutter speed and panning
Panning is a creative photography technique that conveys a sense of movement in action photos. It involves moving the camera as you press the shutter button, resulting in a beautiful streaky blur. The key requirement for a panning shot is a slow shutter speed, which allows you to capture the motion blur of the background while keeping the subject in focus.
When panning, it is important to track the movement of your subject with your lens. Start tracking the subject several hundred feet away by looking through the viewfinder and following their movement. As the subject nears your position, take multiple shots, continuing to follow them with your lens even as they move away. This follow-through is crucial to capturing the desired effect.
The shutter speed you choose will depend on the speed of your subject. Faster subjects will require faster shutter speeds, while slower subjects can be captured with slower shutter speeds. For example, a panning shot of a racecar may use a shutter speed of 1/125s, while a runner may be captured at 1/30s. It is important to experiment with different shutter speeds and review the results to determine the ideal setting for a given subject.
Additionally, the background of your panning shot is important. A smooth, uniform background, like a blue sky, will not create visual streaks or blur as you pan. For a more striking effect, choose a background with texture, features, and contrasts. This will reveal the pan and create the desired streaky blur effect.
Finally, remember that panning requires practice. It is a skill that improves with experience and experimentation. Don't be discouraged by misses, as even experienced photographers encounter them. With perseverance, you can create stunning panning shots that capture the energy and motion of your subjects.
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Camera settings
Shutter Speed
The key to a good panning shot is a slow shutter speed, which creates a streaky, blurry background. The specific speed depends on how fast your subject is moving and how long your lens is. For example, a good starting point for wildlife or cars with a telephoto lens is about 1/30th of a second. If your subject is moving quickly, you may need a faster shutter speed, such as 1/200 or 1/400 of a second, to prevent it from becoming a complete blur. Conversely, if your photo is coming out too bright, you may need to increase the shutter speed to reduce the background streak.
Aperture
A medium to narrow aperture is best for panning shots. While a wider aperture would bring the background into sharper focus, a blurred background is essential to this style of photography.
ISO
When shooting in low light, you may need to increase your ISO to achieve a faster shutter speed. However, this can result in grainy photos.
Autofocus
For beginners, it is recommended to use the autofocus mode on your DSLR camera. This will automatically identify and refocus on the subject if it moves. More advanced photographers may prefer to use manual focus, which requires maintaining a constant distance from the subject.
Drive Mode
When shooting in Shutter Priority mode, set the Drive mode to Continuous. This will improve your chances of capturing the moment and reduce camera shake from pressing the shutter button.
Equipment
While not a camera setting per se, it is worth noting that using a tripod can help stabilise your camera during a panning shot. However, it is not essential, and you can achieve great results without one.
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Framing and background
The background of your photo should be blurry, so individual details are less important. However, the overall colours will form an important part of your image as they will be the frame for your subject. The background plays a vital role in emphasising the subject's movement. A sharp subject against a blurry background adds depth and motion to your image.
To achieve this, use a slow shutter speed while tracking a moving subject. The shutter speed should ideally be between 1/30 and 1/80 of a second to capture motion. You can also try a shutter speed of 1/125 seconds or slower to increase your chances of a good panning shot. A faster shutter speed will result in less streaky movement in the background.
For the best results, the background should have some texture, features, and contrast. A uniform background, such as a clear blue sky, will not create any visual streaks or blur. A background with horizontal lines, such as a fence or the edge of a road, will add structure and a greater sense of speed.
When selecting your position, ensure you have a clear view of your subject's trajectory. Keep some distance between your camera and the moving subject, as it can be hard to keep the subject in the frame when it is too large and too close. If you are photographing a car, it is okay if the car is not in the centre of the frame, as long as there is ample allowance for cropping.
You can also add interesting foreground elements to your shot to create a parallax effect, emphasising the sense of motion.
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Panning techniques
Panning is a technique used in photography to capture a sense of movement in images. It involves moving the camera as you press the shutter button, resulting in photos with a streaked blur. While side-to-side panning is the most common technique, you can also pan up and down or diagonally.
To achieve a successful panning shot, it is crucial to master the art of camera control. This means practising your stance and body positioning. You should face the direction in which you want to take your shots and turn your upper body in sync with the movement of your subject, keeping them in the frame. It is also important to note that the subject should be moving adjacent to your position, rather than directly towards or away from you.
When panning, it is essential to use a slow shutter speed, allowing for a blurry, streaky background. This speed depends on how fast your subject is moving and the length of your lens. For example, a racing car will likely need a faster shutter speed than a cyclist. Additionally, in low-light conditions, you may need to increase your shutter speed to avoid blurry images.
The background of your panning shot is also important. A smooth, uniform background will not create visual streaks or blurs, while a background with texture, features, and contrast will enhance the panning effect. It is also beneficial to use Burst mode, which allows you to capture multiple shots in a fraction of a second, increasing your chances of getting the perfect shot.
Panning is a challenging technique that requires practice and experimentation. It may not always produce the desired results, but with perseverance, you can create stunning and artistic images full of energy and motion.
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Subjects and practice
Panning is a great way to capture images full of energy and movement. The technique involves moving the camera as you press the shutter button, resulting in a beautiful streaky blur. The key to achieving a perfect panning shot is practice, practice, and more practice!
Subjects
When it comes to subjects, you'll need some fast-moving ones. Start with predictable motion—find a busy street or a popular bike path where you can capture moving cars, bikers, joggers, or even children playing in the garden. If you're feeling adventurous, try capturing birds in flight or animals in motion. For a more controlled environment, set up a tripod and have a friend or family member move around in front of you.
Practice
The more you practice, the better you'll become at panning. Here are some tips to get you started:
- Familiarise yourself with your camera settings. Play with different shutter speeds to understand their impact on your images. A slower shutter speed will give you that streaky, blurry background movement.
- Use a tripod to guarantee smoother motion. Set up your tripod so that the head can rotate freely from side to side. This way, you can move your camera on the tripod as your subject moves.
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and bend your knees. This will help you maintain stability as you pan.
- Focus on your subject by pressing the shutter button halfway. This allows your camera to auto-focus. Then, press the shutter button all the way to capture the image while smoothly sweeping your camera along with your subject's motion.
- Keep your eyes and head pointed towards the subject as you pan. This will help you find your subject in the viewfinder quickly.
- Don't be discouraged if your first images aren't perfect. Fine-tuning your panning technique will result in many rejected photos, but that's part of the learning process. Keep experimenting, and you'll eventually capture that perfect shot!
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Frequently asked questions
A slow shutter speed is the key requirement for a panning shot. This allows for a streaky, blurry background.
The background should have some texture, features, and contrast to reveal the pan. It should also be a contrasting colour to the subject so that they stand out.
Sports are ideal for practising panning shots. This is because you get multiple attempts to hone your skills as runners, horses, dirt bikes or racing cars pass by each lap.
A good starting point for wildlife or cars with a telephoto lens is about 1/30th sec. If you find everything is blurry, increase the shutter speed. If you want more background streak, use a slower shutter speed.
Set your focus mode to 'AI Servo' ('AF-C' or 'tracking' for non-Canon cameras). This will keep updating the focus to track your moving subject. You can also enable more than one centre AF point so you don't have to worry about accidentally slipping the focus point.
