Panning technique

[Anbesol]

I've been trying to master the panning motion blur technique. I've tried shutter priority, about 75mm, around 1/15th shutter hitting up in f/22 area. The results are mediocre at best so far, wondering what I can do to improve the technique. I'm stuck with iso 400, so not much I can do with aperture except wait for darker time. I'm shooting a motorcycle going about 20 to 40 mph. Project for class, so ultimately needs to be done on film (why im stuck at 400) but practicing with digital for now. Any tips advice or suggestions much appreciated. Thx.

[Loupey]

First of all, I'm no motorsports shooter but 1/15s sounds pretty slow even for panning.

Are the motorcycles coming at an angle or at right angle to you? How far away are they - in other words, how much of the frame do they occupy?

Can you post some examples of what you've shot so far?

[Anbesol]

Well, I tried both handheld and tripod pan, the tripod seemed to improve success, but only very slightly.

The bikes coming from right in front of me and I hit it nearly perpendicular, the goal is to stop as hes (they) at or near a right angle.

Here is one SOOC. I'm also thinking of trying this with a rear curtain sync, but I'd imagine that could only work late at night and a lot of hassle finding the ambient to flash to shutter light balance. I've included one of the best of tonight, which is still less than I'd like.

[OldClicker]

I'm not good at it but:

I would think at 1/15 you are going to need a perfect pan. Try 1/60???

The photo above looks like you are catching up to it at the last moment and getting the blur behind.

Terry

[freygr]

You have to use a optical or sports view finder (wire frame), as if you are using a SLR or LCD your view will go away during the exposure and you will not be able to follow through.

[Anbesol]

well, its going to require some amount of guesswork, besides I can't exactly see hands responding more accurately through a full viewfinder at 1/30th of a second.

Anyway - I tried it a bit faster, 1/60th didn't produce enough blur for me, I varied between 1/20-1/40 and had much better success, but still working on mastering the technique. I tried a slower moving subject this time.

[AgingEyes]

well, its going to require some amount of guesswork, besides I can't exactly see hands responding more accurately through a full viewfinder at 1/30th of a second.

Anyway - I tried it a bit faster, 1/60th didn't produce enough blur for me, I varied between 1/20-1/40 and had much better success, but still working on mastering the technique. I tried a slower moving subject this time.

1/30s should be a good one to experiment with.

Oh, if by mastering it you mean to get good result anytime you pan, forget about it. As far as panning goes, nobody can tell for sure what the result will be, including the pros.

[Chris350]

Oh, if by mastering it you mean to get good result anytime you pan, forget about it. As far as panning goes, nobody can tell for sure what the result will be, including the pros.

Agreed.. I shoot cycling, and find I'm regularly using F 13-16, and 1/125th or so. I have the option of using ISO 100 with a DSRL, but often drop a full neutral density filter in front to drop the exposure value further. I find shooting with both eyes open help and it's vital to visualize where the subject is through out the pan. Finally if possible shoot bursts, one shot will be noticeably better than the rest. I also sometimes use a flash and a VR/IS lens in active mode.


16mm, 1/100, F4.5 (it was raining..) ISO 100


16mm, 1/5, f 3.5, ISO 400 in a dark tunnel lit from a side gallery, framing was pure guess work

[Anbesol]

Yeah I've had to use a polarizer to drop the exposure value as well, would do ND but I dont have one :-\.

Good point ae, I guess by 'mastering' I mean to imrpove the relative success rate, and increase the blur I'm trying to achieve. The blurrier the back the better.

[SmartWombat]

You can practice without film, you will know when it feels right.
Really, you will.
When you pan and you see the subject is in the centre of your viewfinder all the time, you'll know you've done it.
When you feel yourself stop concentrating on keeping the metering point on the helmet, or shoulder, and you can see the whole image in the viewfinder, you've got it.

Longer focal length means you don't have to swing so far, or so fast, while panning.
Shorter focal length means you're closer, and you have to pan quicker.

Your success rate depends on practice.
Slower shutter speed makes it harder, you have to be much smoother and more accurate.

Pan with your body, not your hands.
Twist at the waist, if you can, and shoot when you're straight.
Carry on panning after you press the shutter, so you don't slow down too soon and blur it.
As with all slow shutter speed shots, tuck in your left arm/elbow and brace under the lens.
Don't stop breathing, that'll make you shake.
Squeeze, don't stab the shutter.

Other than that, practice all you can, in daylight you'll see your subject more clearly.

[Anbesol]

I was hoping you'd chime in here - I've seen a lot of good panning shots from you.

Thanks for the advice, I will be sure to use that on my next panning attempt.

Quick followup question - I understand the reason for the more movement with shorter focal length, but - I would also think that longer focal lengths are less forgiving of any imperfect movement. So, I'm still confused as to which I will have better success with, and which is easier and more effective, shorter or longer focal length? I haven't experimented with anything beyond 75mm yet.

[Skyman]

I like to pretend I am a skeet shooter and point my feet in the direction the target is going to and twist my body around to pick them up and then "unwind" as I take the photo. I find this makes the action feel more natural.

[drg]

The 'modern technology' of Tracking focus and Images Stabilization are also a big help with panning.. Then you can use a very shallow depth of field and use an AF point as the tracking guide.

Use Smart Wombats techniques for holding, panning and shutter release and your 'keeper' ratio should begin to increase.

The shutter speed isn't really as much of the key as is the cumulative technique. I feel that controlling the DOF via aperture is far more important and then you can achieve some other effects as well such as getting the foreground images to pop out when panning.

A film image I posted here at photography review about 5 years ago shows the results of a combo of panning and shallow DOF.
Cowboy Series - Gitin' after number 2 This one was done with a 200mm focal length from some distance on a monopod. A Canon EOS 1v and the 'standard' 70-200mm f2.8 lens, ISO 400 film, and 1/400th at f/5.6.

The longer focal length also compresses the image so that the fence looks closer than it is in the background. A shorter lens will obviously always have more DOF and thus less blur. The closer you are the faster you can pan and increase the blur.

Something that is fun to try and shoot is a carnival ride! Lights motion color and variable speeds. Great practice and sometimes you get some real cool keepers!

More technology and panning at an odd oncoming angle.
Tracking focus and panning plus IS helped catch Helio Castroneves pumping his fist after winning the INDY 500 in 2009.
http://gallery.photographyreview.com...=drg&mcats=all Yes, this one is digital but it was a one shot deal. No do overs at 225mph! Same type of technique and a flexi-head on a monopod. Note the wheels are not frozen, you can see where the tire logos are, but they are becoming white lines around the the tires.

Too slow a shutter and you'll get all those nasty side effects with any lens that will blur the main part of the image. You have to stop some of the motion, but not all of it. We teach 'beginners' at tracks to shoot panning by having them pan across something like a fence or some kind of markers while shooting in a continuous drive mode and then looking at the results to see how smooth they were by checking how far they moved the camera from frame to frame.

Best wishes and be glad you can practice with digital. Learning to do this with film was an expensive process!!

[Anbesol]

K, I think I'm going to invest finally in a ND filter, especially since this will be on ISO 400 (though I will ask my teacher about using an ISO 50/125 film). Still, the best times for doing this is in rather bright light, and I think a narrower dof will definitely help make the look I want to achieve.

Thanks for the feedback guys, it sounds like there is a compromise between short and long focal length, and I think hitting somewhere in the middle is ideal for what I want to accomplish, with enough blur - something like 100mm. Don't think I'll be whipping out my 400mm for this one.