Panning Technique - How to?

[mrvgson]

My attempt to take some panning shots was a failure and I am trying to understand what I need to do get this right. (This is my 2nd failed attempt at panning).

I was at a race this morning to take some pictures. I was shooting with the D70+70-300mm lens. It was a bright/sunny day. Here is just one of the shots.

This one was shot using Shutter mode, f/32, 1/5 sec, 70mm.

Some of the other ones taken with bigger apeture and slower shutter speeds are totally white (I guess that is what is called overexposed).
I played around with the aperture to to see if reducing the aperture to f/32 would help reduce the brightness.

I also tried using the Exposure compensation (to -3.0) to see if that would help reduce the effect of the sun.

Looking to learn what I did wrong so that I can make the corections next time. May be I should have looked for areas that are shaded to try out the panning technique.

Looking forward to your comments and tips.

Thanks in advance.

PS: I realize that using a tripod will help, but I only have a cheap tripod and carrying that around during a race is too much of a hassle. I plan to try using the tripod this summer, when there are people on the local track.

 

[bango707]

What ISO were you at?

I have never taken pictures of people running before but I would think that 1/5 of a second would be way too long. If you were shooting a car with that setup it would work fine because the car would be traveling straight forward with very minimal up and down movement. The car is usually in perfect focus and the wheels have some motion blur. When someone is running their arms are swinging, their legs are moving, and their bodies are traveling up and down. All of that movement is going to get recorded when using a longer shutter which will result in an image like the one that you posted.

 

[keith204]

Try other settings... panning will be impossible at 1/5 second for runners.

Up that to at least 1/60 of a second. Then, you're pictures will be darker than the one you showed. You'll have to make your aperture larger to compensate for this...

I'd even try for 1/125 second for runners, or if you want to stop the action, at least 1/250 second. Make your aperture larger accordingly.

 

[Sideburns]

1/60 or maybe a tad faster. You're not going to get the effect you're looking for with that slow of a shutter speed.

 

[mrvgson]

I was shooting at ISO200, since it was outoors and sunny.

What I want to acheive is something I have seen in magazines, where the background is blurred but the runner is mostly in focus.

Here is one from my first attempt last year - which was also not right. (the black spot was dirt on my camera).

Thanks. Next time I will try increasing upping the shutter speed to 1/60. I also like the idea of practiing on cars first.

 

[Bevel Heaven]

ummmmm, put the camera in shutter speed priority mode or whatever it is called for your particular camera.

Start at 1/250th and take some photos of people walking or have your kid or a friend jog back and forth while you do this...

You will have to follow the speed of the jogger with your camera as close as possible. Once you are able to get the jogger sharp consistantly, then slow down the shutter speed a bit and practice a bunch at that speed.

Repeat

Only you will be able to figure out how slow a shutter speed YOU can use to keep your jogger sharp, but to also blur the background.

Panning is incredibly difficult to pull off but luckily you are asking about panning something [your jogger] that is moving pretty slow so it is the easiest to learn on.

The slower your shutter speed, the more difficult it will become to keep your subject SHARP as you have to match your side movement of yoru camera exactly with the subject or it gets blurred too.

Try panning a racing motorcycle sometime..... That is fun [difficult]. You should be able to get this figured out in a half hour of playing around and practice.

 

[ann]

at the risk of sounding cranky, you really need to pratice with this technique.

Trying any technique a few times is not going to help. It is a matter of many attempts. Practice, practice , pratice.

Frankly, i like your first attempt, i would just spot out the black mark.

it is very interesting and has a wonderful sense of movement, and not like most panning shots.

 

[Robp412]

when i shoot skateboarding i have a reaaaaaally ridiculously fast shutter speed.
I think I had it to the like max 2 days ago.
ahaha

 

[Robp412]

sorry its so big...

 

[mrvgson]

robp412: thanks, but I think you missed the point of my question. I am not looking to freeze the action here (which is what a fast shutter speed would do - like in your picture). I am trying to deliberately have the background blurred in the picture.

Thanks to all for your suggestions and comments. Defintely I have a lot more to practice, practice, practice.

 

[Robp412]

oh I'm sorry I thought maybe I could help a little ahahha.
Well good luck!

 

[Heck]

I have a busy street outside my front window and used the passing traffic to shoot panning shots. I found for cars doing 30 to 40 Mph 1/60 is a sweet spot on a nice sunny day. follow the panning motion all the with the subject and shoot in burst of 3 to 4 shots in a row and you may get more keepers.

Here is a 1/60 panning shot of a car http://heck.zenfolio.com/p892920165/?photo=h3F93B9C0#1066645952

 

[Cinka]

I have a busy street outside my front window and used the passing traffic to shoot panning shots. I found for cars doing 30 to 40 Mph 1/60 is a sweet spot on a nice sunny day. follow the panning motion all the with the subject and shoot in burst of 3 to 4 shots in a row and you may get more keepers.

Here is a 1/60 panning shot of a car http://heck.zenfolio.com/p892920165/?photo=h3F93B9C0#1066645952

I just want to make sure I understand the technique here: a Fast shutter speed, pan the camera moving with the object. The idea here is, you and the object are moving at relatively the same speed, but the background is not, which is why it's blurred. Have I got it? A faster shutter speed would capture a crisper background?

 

[mrvgson]

I just want to make sure I understand the technique here: a Fast shutter speed, pan the camera moving with the object. The idea here is, you and the object are moving at relatively the same speed, but the background is not, which is why it's blurred. Have I got it? A faster shutter speed would capture a crisper background?

Yes, you got it.

 

[Bevel Heaven]

..... except if you are moving *relatively* the same speed as your subject, then the subject will be blurred. The trick is to completely match your subject's speed with your camera so that the subject is crisp.

If you use a fast shutter speed this is easy but the background will be sharp too

If you use a slow shutter speed and match your subject exactly then you will have a blurred background.