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How to get panning effects

May 30, 2008

Panning is great way of showing the sense of motion. It is a very simple technique but difficult to master. Last week, I have post an article about exposure and mention little bit about shutter speed and panning. This week I will give you a step by step guide on how to shoot great panning effect. This post will be divided into three parts. The stuff you need, the right setting and the step by step guide.

1. The right stuff

What you need to shoot great panning effect?

• A camera (it can SLR or compact, but SLR is better)
• A subject (moving car, bicycle etc)

2. The right setting

• Shutter speed: 1/30 - 1/60 (depends on the speed of the subject)
• Aperture : Set the shutter speed first, then get a correct aperture setting
• ISO : The lower the better. If you want to get the correct exposure, Setting to higher is the
  last choice after setting the shutter speed and aperture
• White Balance: Depends on the lighting condition (use preset setting is most recommended)

3. The steps…

• Firstly, identify where and what you want to shoot The best place to study panning is by the road side.
• Set the camera setting to get the correct exposure
• Wait for the subject to come (in this example I will use a motorbike)
• Follow the subject and at the same time click the shutter
• Continue to follow the subject until the subject disappear.
• Check the result (if using digital camera) and if the result is not good, try again until you get the right shot.

Remember to keep trying. Practice make perfect…

Entry Filed under: How to shoot Series. Tags: panning, shutter speed, tips.