How to practice panning techniques

[lixiang9779]

Im just very curious, how you guys practice this technique.

I know moving cars on the road are good objeccts, but..
I just feel bad taking photos of other people's car.
Is it all right to do that ?
Or is there other ways ?

 

[Mercy77]

Don't need to feel bad. Just do it.

 

[kei1309]

Don't need to feel bad. Just do it.

NOTE. DO NOT just DO IT.

respect their privacy. don't take down any license plate numbers. same with shooting other people's property.

and especially when there's a couple making out or doing weird stuff in the car. they can sue you.

how would you like it if someone took down your car plate number, put it online and the next week it opens as the 1st prize for 4D... the exact same week you forgot to buy.

(ok OT.)

 

[SkyStrike]

Can also consider taking moving bicycles in the park also

 

[intrance]

...

how would you like it if someone took down your car plate number, put it online and the next week it opens as the 1st prize for 4D... the exact same week you forgot to buy.

(ok OT.)

LOL...


TS.. its great if u have longer zoom lens.. pan from a distance..

 

[catchlights]

Im just very curious, how you guys practice this technique.

I know moving cars on the road are good objeccts, but..
I just feel bad taking photos of other people's car.
Is it all right to do that ?
Or is there other ways ?

I don't see any big issue on that.
I took some timelapse clip at the overhead bridge above express way, the only thing worries me is that some motorist might slow down bcos of thinking I taking photos of speeding cars. lol

 

[rhino123]

When taking pic of moving vehicle, make sure you don't wear white shirt and black pants... you will look like traffic controller and people might delibrately slow down and you might cause a jam or worst - an accident

 

[kriegsketten]

To break your shyness in shooting other people's autos... I'd suggest following Hebro Kei's approach... try panning shoots with a PnS first... It's much less conspicuous than a black DSLR (unless you wanna embark on a red/pink/white/purple DSLR approach - that would most certainly work :bsmilie: as no speed trapers would be caught dead with those)

 

[tortise]

I don't see the big deal if you're just taking the photos for practice.

You can try to sit at a bus stop so as to not be too conspicuous and distract the drivers. And i agree the cyclists make good subjects too cos of the different speeds they travel at, just that frequency of encountering them is not that high.

If you want to post some photos online for comments, you can always blur/mosiac out the license plate since there seems to be some concern about the numbers.

good luck with the practice!

 

[Mercy77]

Higher the focal length the harder it is to get good shots. Without IS (image stabiliser) is also harder.

You can slowly make your practice harder by using higher focal length and not use IS.

Use burst shooting (frames per second) to increase your chances of a good shot.

Trail your subject as early as possible before the actual shot you want to take so that your panning is in sync with the movement of the subject.

Best if you are positioned perpendicular to the subject. But it might not be the shot you want.

Shooting MRT also can be an option but u have to wait 5 min for the next train everytime.

 

[kriegsketten]

Ermmm.... best not to shoot MRT... the security staff are pretty edgy these days... :sweat:

 

[lixiang9779]

I don't see the big deal if you're just taking the photos for practice.

You can try to sit at a bus stop so as to not be too conspicuous and distract the drivers. And i agree the cyclists make good subjects too cos of the different speeds they travel at, just that frequency of encountering them is not that high.

If you want to post some photos online for comments, you can always blur/mosiac out the license plate since there seems to be some concern about the numbers.

good luck with the practice!

Hmm. yea true, good ideas.
Maybe becos im young, having fear of those car owners.
Later they slow down and punch me
haha.
I just feel very awkward taking picture of other people.

Zooming is also a nice alternative, but will that make it harder to be insync with the object ?

 

[kriegsketten]

Actually, please do not assume that motorist won't notice you when you're at the bus stop shooting them, particularly when there are not too many people there (and you'd generally prefer lesser people for an unobstructed view). It's not like they have tunnel vision or else they shouldn't be driving... A few times I've tried, I can tell they do notice that I'm there (unless they happened to be busy with other things, engaged in a chat, etc)

 

[kriegsketten]

Zoom is good, it means you can be further back, and the chances for a sharper image should actually be greater versus you shooting at an on coming car (towards you) with a shorter focal length (your AF do not have to work too hard to catch up).

 

[kei1309]

Ermmm.... best not to shoot MRT... the security staff are pretty edgy these days... :sweat:

HAHA. that day i brought out my cam and lens.... should have seen the staff starting to hang around me :bsmilie:

To break your shyness in shooting other people's autos... I'd suggest following Hebro Kei's approach... try panning shoots with a PnS first... It's much less conspicuous than a black DSLR (unless you wanna embark on a red/pink/white/purple DSLR approach - that would most certainly work :bsmilie: as no speed trapers would be caught dead with those)

eh... mine was at the F1 HAHA. not panning anyone's car.

actually it's ok to pan anyone's car on the road. but as courtesy blur out the license plate number if you caught it in the frame... or anyone else's. at least the person has no proof it's their's if he/she came across the picture online (if you posted it).

 

[kriegsketten]

HAHA. that day i brought out my cam and lens.... should have seen the staff starting to hang around me :bsmilie:



eh... mine was at the F1 HAHA. not panning anyone's car.

actually it's ok to pan anyone's car on the road. but as courtesy blur out the license plate number if you caught it in the frame... or anyone else's. at least the person has no proof it's their's if he/she came across the picture online (if you posted it).

It's the "technique" hebro, that I'm trying to push forward, not the subject matter (F1 or not)... :bsmilie:

Yeah it's okay to shoot - then PP the plate out. I was trying to make point that if you're trying to be inconspicuous by sitting at a bus stop, it is not going to work... :bsmilie: Try looking at the driver's eyes during PP... I'm going to bet most of the time he/she is looking at you even though head facing straight ahead.

 

[kei1309]

It's the "technique" hebro, that I'm trying to push forward, not the subject matter (F1 or not)... :bsmilie:

Yeah it's okay to shoot - then PP the plate out. I was trying to make point that if you're trying to be inconspicuous by sitting at a bus stop, it is not going to work... :bsmilie: Try looking at the driver's eyes during PP... I'm going to bet most of the time he/she is looking at you even though head facing straight ahead.

Hahaha why are u still calling me hebro? :bsmilie: i did get many shots where the driver stares at me lol but more in confusion haha

 

[kriegsketten]

Hahaha why are u still calling me hebro? :bsmilie: i did get many shots where the driver stares at me lol but more in confusion haha

Well...I kinda got stuck with it... :bsmilie: As for the stares... I think this calls for composition skills... see if you can get an angle (depends on time of the day) where the sun would make the interior invisible...

 

[akszaksz]

nothing wrong with that. You can also choose not to expose the photos to the internet, making it mainly for practising purpose if you're afraid of disrespecting other's privacy.

BTW, it doesn't requires a DSLR to practise, you can practise with your mobile phone's cam too.
below is what i shot with my NexusOne out of boredom. =P

It's not sharp, but i guess, the idea is there.

 

[kriegsketten]

BTW, it doesn't requires a DSLR to practise, you can practise with your mobile phone's cam too.
below is what i shot with my NexusOne out of boredom. =P

It's not sharp, but i guess, the idea is there.

EXACTLY... panning shots do not require really fast shutter speeds or fast lenses... In fact, the slower the shutter (of course there is a limit depending on how fast the subject is travelling) the better the motion blur effects... And it takes a bit of practice.

That's why I think PnS can also do the job. I mean, who am I to say? Our he.. urm... bro Kei has already proven so... :bsmilie: