Panning

Ever wonder how to do panning shots? Some of the important aspects that you need to take note while doing panning shots is your camera mode and body movement.

Panning is actually a technique to capture a moving object where the moving object is sharp in focus and the background is simply blurred off. It is done using horizontal movement of the camera.

The first tip for you is to make sure that your camera is in shutter priority mode. The shutter speed is very important because your object is constantly moving. You would want to capture a sharp object and not an object which is affected by motion blur.

If you are shooting F1 cars, it is best to use a shutter speed of around 1/250. This is because the F1 car is moving in a very high speed. You would need your shutter to work fast. If you are shooting Japan GT cars, you could actually lower your shutter speed to around 1/125. While for other moving objects you could use shutter speed ranging from 1/60-1/250. Experiment with different shutter speed and come share your results by leaving a comment here.

Next tip to take note is your body movement. Usually most photographers will move their head when doing panning shots. It is advisable if you move your hips instead of turning your head. If you turn your head too much, your head might get dizzy easily or even have neck pain if you are taking too many panning shots. On the other hand if you use your hips to turn, you will have more firm and steady shots. So start practice turning your hips.

Then while making panning shots, make sure your camera is set to continuous focusing mode. Your object will be constantly moving that's why your camera should be told to continue focusing on your object .

Lastly, you must follow your object. Follow the movement of your object and take 1 or 2 snap shot once you get the feel. Try not to shoot in burst mode as your camera might not be able to handle so many shots at 1 time and in the end your photos will all have motion blur.