Panning shots

[Shoot]

:dunno:

Hi people,

Just want your inputs on how to do good panning shots and what are the best subjects ... cyclist, cars, etc....

What should the settings be and what's the best techinique to employ, apart from loads of patience and determination.

Cheers

 

[finkster]

Try to predict how fast the subject is moving, so when it does come into your zone, u can pan along with it. Objects moving towards u at a high speed will be even faster when they pass perpendicularly to u (across your front).

If u have only one chance to capture a photo, it's even more important to get it right the first time. As the subject moves across your front, your arms should be locked, & pivot from the waist in the direction of movement. Dont move your arms to adjust. Your shots will probably turn out a little blur due to up-down movement from your moving arms, in addition to your left-right panning.

Use the fastest shutter speed possible, & with digital cams, u can afford to underexpose shots a little(fast shutter, big aperture in poor light), as u can process them using photoshop or other image-editing software. But up to a limit of course...

Choice of subject is highly subjective(pun intended). Children running around in the playground can also be considered fast moving subjects... unless they have been sedated:bsmilie:

 

[Shoot]

Hi Finkster,

Thx for your suggestions.
So should I leave it to manual mode or shutter priority on my SLR (non-digital) while selecting the shutter speeds and do ISO 100 totally out of the question.

Thx for indulging ....
Cheers

 

[finkster]

Try shutter priority if u aren't sure at first. See how is the speed of your subject & available light conditions. Start at 1/100 & work your way up to faster speeds.

U really got to experiment & see for yourself how fast u can go. Get a notebook to record your settings, make a note of which frame it is, and shoot your subject. Standing by the side of the road is good. Watch for cars that approach u, selecting those of around the same speed, and fire away. Try different speeds until u get familiar. Go manual as well to get intimate with the workings of your cam. Have to lah... better to 'waste' some film now in a controlled environment than to struggle to adjust your cam settings in the heat of the action of some important event.

ISO 100... can lah... see how good is your technique lor...

Oh yeah.... be careful when u shoot cars... 'ska li' the driver think u TP with a speed cam... then suddenly brake n cause accident!:embrass:

 

[Shoot]

Haha,

Good point about the accidents! and thx for the tips again.

Cheers