When shooting fast moving subjects, most photographers will bump up the shutter speed to freeze the action. I understand because it is an easy way for capturing sharp pictures. What if I told you there is another technique used by photographers to take more interesting action pictures!
In this article we will be discussing the technique of panning photography to get you started.. I will also be sharing a few tips and tricks to improve your panning photography skills.
What is Panning Photography?
If you are new to photography or cinematography, you might be wondering what panning photography means. Well, I will break it down for you.
Panning simply means moving from one direction to the other horizontally from a fixed position. Having that in mind, panning photography means moving your camera while tracking a moving subject to create a sense of speed.
Photos captured using panning photography technique have a blurry background while the subject itself is in focus. To achieve this, the camera is set on a slow shutter speed and the camera motion speed should be equivalent to that of the subject.
Tips To Improve Your Panning Photography
When you are starting to venture into creative panning photography, you will probably have a hard time. A Lot of things are happening at the same time. You have to follow along a moving subject, compose the picture correctly, get the right focus and the correct exposure.
The following tips will make your work easier when you go out for panning photography session;
Use Shutter Priority Mode
Panning photography consists of many movements coming together to create the desired picture. Setting your camera to shutter priority mode will help you worry less about the exposure triangle.
When a camera is in shutter priority mode, you just need to set up your shutter speed and the camera will adjust the aperture and ISO for a well exposed picture.
Use Slow Shutter Speed
To bring the effect of a blurry background you will have to use lower shutter speed. Experiment with shutter speed between 1/30 and 1/125 depending on the speed of the action taking place.
Move Along With The Subject
When capturing creative panning photos, move the camera at the same speed with the subject. When the subject is directly in front of you, press the shutter button while the camera is still in motion.
Use Continuous Autofocus
Most digital cameras have the continuous autofocus (AF-C in Nikon or AI Servo in Canon) feature which helps in focusing on the moving subject. With this feature on, you will need not to worry about the focus ring as the camera will bring the moving subject into focus.
Use Burst Mode
Burst mode is also known as the continuous shooting mode in photography. It is achieved by pressing and holding the shutter button and the camera takes pictures continuously.
This feature is very important in creative panning photography as taking many pictures increases the chances of a perfect shot.
Use A Telephoto Lens
Using a lens with long focal length will create an effect of shallow depth of field. This means that the subject will be sharply in focus while the rest of the background appears to be blurry. It will be a bonus for you if the lens has a fixed aperture and has image stabilization.
Move Your Upper Body
To capture perfect panning photos, you have to be as steady as possible. Keep your feet slightly apart for stability and move the whole upper body while panning the camera. Moving only your hands may introduce shaking which will be visible in lower shutter speed.
Carry A Monopod
A monopod is the best camera gear you can carry if you intend to take panning photos. For one, it will help you with the stability you need dearly. A monopod is also easy to rotate from left to right and the opposite is true.
Check Your Pictures
After a few shots, make sure you check the pictures you have taken. Check the focus, the exposure and composition of the pictures. If you are not proud of the pictures you have taken, make some adjustments and keep trying.
What Are The Best Panning Photography Settings?
In creative panning photography, there are no fixed settings that will give you outright perfect pictures. However, from the list of tips to improve your panning photography, you should consider these camera settings;
- Shutter speed priority mode
- Slow shutter speed between 1/30 and 1/125
- Continuous autofocus(AF-C or AI Servo)
- Burst mode
Check out this video by Mango Street to have a better understanding of creative panning photography;
Panning Photography Ideas
Now that we have solved the best tips to improve your panning photography, the next questions should be about panning photography ideas.
Lucky for you because there are many creative photography ideas you can try even at home;
Playing Pets
In this concept, you just need to have a pet such as a dog and someone to play fetch with. This way it will be easy to predict where the dog will be running towards. Set your camera and capture creative panning dog pictures.
Flying Birds
This is another panning photography idea to can try at home. I mean there are birds everywhere. You just need to go to your backyard with your gear and get ready for some action.
Shoot a cyclist
Head out to the streets and look for people riding on a bicycle. Cyclists will be an easy catch for panning pictures as they do not move at extremely high speed.
Shoot Moving Cars
Moving cars are everywhere and the movement is all we need in panning photos. To make it even more interesting, you can shoot from a moving car for that blurred effect.
Racing Horses
Watch out for the next horse racing event near you. This could be an opportunity to take stunning panning pictures.
Conclusion on Tips and Tricks To Improve Your Panning Photography
Panning photography is not a cup of tea for every photographer. It will take a lot of practice to be familiar with this photography technique. However, with these tips and tricks from Tech Vaile, I believe you are ready to start or improve on your panning photos.
That said, grab your camera and head out to practice the tips and tricks to improve your panning photography.
