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- Thread starter luberry
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The amount of motion blur that you get is relative to the speed of the subject and the shutter speed used.
A car travelling at 100mph and a shutter speed of 1/100 of a second will create the same amount of motion blur as a car travelling at 50mph and a shutter speed of 1/50 of a second.
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- wayne clarke
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I think your talking about panning? The idea is a slowish shutter speed (1/30 or 1/60) and follow the car or bike through, keep following your subject until the shutters closed. The shutter speed will vary depending on how fast your subject is moving, but I'm usually around the 1/60. There is a bit of a learning curve until you get it right.
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- Steve
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It's a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" type question, but shutter speed is where you need to be focusing and "pan" the camera, following the subject. I'm useless at it personally, but many motorsports photographers practice & practice to get it right.
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- Lewis
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As above, "it depends", although that is probably not what you wanted to hear.
Shutter priority at 1/60th of a second in my usual starting point, then I adjust the speed as needed. A faster shutter speed is easier to get the subject sharp, but the slower the shutter speed the blurrier the background. Obviously this works on the basis that you are keeping the camera position relative to the subject and panning as it goes past.
This is easier with a subject moving on a pre-determined path (ideally that path stays the same distance from you, like the radius of a circle), e.g. a car on a racetrack:
Escort pan by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
When the path gets bumpier/less consistent you can probably only get key parts of the image in focus, I usually go for face if a person, or the front of a car etc.
DH Pan by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
The key to panning is practice, and lots of it, lower tier motorsport events are a good option, as you get plenty of action, with fewer people.
Shutter priority at 1/60th of a second in my usual starting point, then I adjust the speed as needed. A faster shutter speed is easier to get the subject sharp, but the slower the shutter speed the blurrier the background. Obviously this works on the basis that you are keeping the camera position relative to the subject and panning as it goes past.
This is easier with a subject moving on a pre-determined path (ideally that path stays the same distance from you, like the radius of a circle), e.g. a car on a racetrack:
Escort pan by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
When the path gets bumpier/less consistent you can probably only get key parts of the image in focus, I usually go for face if a person, or the front of a car etc.
DH Pan by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
The key to panning is practice, and lots of it, lower tier motorsport events are a good option, as you get plenty of action, with fewer people.
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- Andrew
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Yes, its known as panning. Like a good golf swing, the art of panning is mostly in your hips and feet - select the subject relatively early and follow through the motion.
You end up with a lot of shots being deleted, so start with a higher shutter speed, and work down. You can practise, on the public road, or you could go to a race track and practise - mid week practice days and test sessions are often free to attend.
You end up with a lot of shots being deleted, so start with a higher shutter speed, and work down. You can practise, on the public road, or you could go to a race track and practise - mid week practice days and test sessions are often free to attend.
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- Jonny
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Also worth getting to the venue and spending a little while selecting your vantage point. There will be places around the track that afford you a 3/4 on view or side view which can add some variety to your shots for the day if you mix it up a bit. Moving will also give you chance to practise different shutter speeds and motion, which will stand you in good stead for your next trip.
It can be frustrating, but very rewarding when you get it right. I started with buses, cars and bikes coming off a roundabout as it was easier than getting onto a circuit and the different speeds meant that I had to go up and down the shutter speeds until I got it right for each subject.
As with everything shooting related (guns and cameras), slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
It can be frustrating, but very rewarding when you get it right. I started with buses, cars and bikes coming off a roundabout as it was easier than getting onto a circuit and the different speeds meant that I had to go up and down the shutter speeds until I got it right for each subject.
As with everything shooting related (guns and cameras), slow is smooth and smooth is fast.