I'm so glad you found me! I'm a San Francisco photographer, and this blog charts my journey in the ever-evolving world of photography. One of the things I love about photography is that it's a journey, not a destination. I'm constantly learning and meeting wonderful people. Please peruse the blog to your heart's content, then check out my website and feel free to contact me! (I love hearing from you.)

“Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow." – Imogen Cunningham

“A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.” – Edward Steichen

Panning



Panning is lots of fun. You should try it. The recipe is also pretty simple.

1. Find something that's moving. (In this case, it's a car. But it could be a bicycle, or a skateboarder, or even just a person walking.)

2. Make sure your shutter speed is kind of slow. I used 1/50s here, but that's because the car was moving fast. Usually I like 1/30 for vehicles, and 1/15 for bicyclists and people. But you have to find your balance. If too much is blurry, speed up your shutter. If it's not blurry enough, slow it down.

3. Track your subject with the camera. I like to use burst mode here and just take a bunch of shots while I move the camera with the subject. Out of three or four shots usually one is pretty good.

4. Practice! Chances are that your first tries at panning will suck. Mine sure did. But you'll get a lot better quickly if you just keep at it.

If you have any great pan shots, please feel free to link to them in the comments. I'd love to see yours.

10 comments:

  1. I have never tried this...it is supposed to be raining here for the next week, but as soon as a dry spell comes I'll be out there....great clarity on the car and that blur is just perfect (love that orange against the green)!

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  2. Nicely caught - that sausage on the top can't be good for aerodynamics though!

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  3. I haven`t thought to take any for some time, thanks for sharing will have to give it a try.

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  4. Jessica,
    I have not had time to look at my photos from the race yet, but below is a link to one shot of mine from awhile back.
    This is the first print I ever sold.

    http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e157/atmironov/70-200vr/?action=view&current=32.jpg

    Here are some tips I have:
    Use a tripod/mono pod if you can. It keeps you from moving the camera up and down.

    Use the focus selector and center it on some specific part of the moving object (I would usually use the number on the car)And concentrate really hard to not move the camera from the focal point.

    And your right... burst as many photos as you can, and you will get the shot.

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  5. Great panning image. It obviously is an acquired skill!!
    I have never tried it before but it is on my list for this weekend.

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  6. A racy cheeto! Well done. I've played a bit and had the best luck with a tripod or gorilla pod. More shots are certainly more better.

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  7. Great job on that. Panning can definitely be tricky and does usually take practice. This one was trickier than most because the car is not on a level plane. Like I said above - Great job! OBTW - nice tutorial on it too.

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  8. I am going to have to give this a try. Great color

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  9. Thanks for the advice. Great shot!!

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  10. I do like your choice of colors here with the bright orange contrasting with the bright green. You did a great job of panning for a fabulous picture.

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