Photography Class: Panning Tips

My mid-term tests shall start tomorrow, thus I'll give some content other than reviews for today.

One of the most impossible tasks for me a week ago: panning. Putting it simply, you'll point the lens , focusing on and then following a moving object and the background shall blur.

However, doing so was anything but simple. As people learn best from mistakes, I'll just give an idea of how a panning shot could look like, then give my failed shots. Lots of them, in fact, as I took more failed shots than good ones. All pictures are taken with my Canon EOS 600D on 19 Febuary.

Edited on Adobe Photoshop CS6
Shutter speed: 1/40 s
Aperture: f/13
ISO: 800

There we go, captured the moment of two GrabBikers conversing in the middle of the road.

Such is the safety in Indonesia. But anyway, thank you for the opportunity, Sirs.

That was the product of lots of trial and errors; mostly errors. The only frustrating thing in taking panning pictures is to actually stay focused on the object, making it sharp and panning only the background.

One important thing to make your photos pan is to increase your shutter speed to around 1/40 seconds and above, and make sure your hand stays steady during panning. Maybe rotating on a tripod would work better.

Shutter speed: 1/40 s
Aperture: f/22
ISO: 800

Right, this one is not that bad: a security guard patrolling on his bike. See that the car on the background would be better off if it was passing the bike, more to the left of the picture. We can't control the conditions; this is not still life.

One thing to save some pain and immediately capture a good moment is to let your camera judge the aperture needed by setting it at time-value (Tv) for Canon, Pentax and some others, or shutter priority for Nikon, Sony, Olympus, and others. That way, you'll set the speed yourself and get the brightness needed by letting the camera automatically adjust the aperture.

Shutter speed: 1/25 s
Aperture: f/22
ISO: 800

This was the first proper panning I got, and it's not even that meaningful a scene.

Now, notice how small the bike is? Welcome physics. The longer the focus is, the more you'll move the image by rotating it at a certain angle. Sometimes, keeping the focus length lower could be better for aiming the camera properly.

Shutter speed: 1/25 s
Aperture: f/25
ISO: 800

Now, one of my failed shots. It seems I panned too slowly this time; I think so, at least.

Remember that in autofocus, the camera needs some time to scan and focus the image. However, unless you could focus faster than the auto, do use this mode to save time.

Shutter speed: 1/25 s
Aperture: f/22
ISO: 800

I think, for this one I panned to quickly. Such was the difficulty at getting a good image; though if this is the style you're looking for, do go for it.

Oh and now, bikers do not use helmets. Who should change, really?

Shutter speed: 1/25 s
Aperture: f/25
ISO: 800

Again, panned too quickly. Also, usually it should be much better if we could capture the whole object in the picture, not cutting it in half like this car.

Shutter speed: 1/25 s
Aperture: f/13
ISO: 800

Now, I have no idea what happened here. It seems the image is focused more on the driver's cab. I think, I zoomed in (increased the focus) a little as the photo was taken. Only if the driver was more focused...

There we go, some tips from my failures in panning. I still have much to do, what with tomorrow's first mid term test. So long.