How to improve panning...

[srichards]

I have a mixed bag.

I have a few that look like this:

1



Motion blur seems ok. Focus reasonable. Framing is a bit loose but at least you can tell what it is...

With identical settings I got the following:

2



Can't tell whether that is a focus issue or motion blur or bad panning from me.

3



Apart from the poor framing the above is exactly what I wanted to achieve.

4



Next frame and er it's blurry again but the framing is right.

Is it just a law of averages and that if you pan even if you're really good some of them are just going to be poor? Or is there some tricks I need to know?

I also have others that are reversed in that the first and last of a trio are blurry but the one dead centre is perfect. I cannot work out what I did differently that would do this.

I'm irritated as the first one Chris Evans had a really good expression but in the sharp shot you can only see the back of his head.

I did switch to 1/250th for later panning ones as most of the cars were going at a heck of a pace. Just as many of those (if not more) were blurry until I got to 1/320th. They looked sharp but boring!

I feel I need an adaptive motorsport mode which changes shutter speed as you pan so that middle shots are faster and to-ing and fro-ing ones are slower to get more blur. I guess that is why most motorsport togs stand on constant radius bends so they don't need such a thing.

 

[Mikesphotaes]

Probably how the camera focusses on continuous shooting.

You could try going a wee bit higher on shutter speed.

There is a tutorial on panning on this site so have a wee search

 

[Andrew_S]

I've only been doing it less than a year so I'm not really one to advise, but I'd say practice, practice and more practice. Even the really good Motorsport shooters bin loads and loads. You will get a feel for what sort of shutter speed you should use for which vehicles at which point of the circuit after you take a few and it's all about doing a test or two and learning from it. When you get a good panning shot, it's extremely satisfying.

 

[damianmkv]

It's very difficult, I guess that it's more to do with camera shake than focus. I went to Santa Pod at the weekend and took around 150 panning shots - I guess I binned 75% of them. Out of the remainder, I'd say that 15-20 were spot on but I'm mega critical of my own work. If I look at published work, most are not 100% perfect focus-wise.

 

[Sanqhar]

Rule 1.

Keep panning after you have pressed the shutter.

Try to take the photo "side on" as in photo 3. then the panning matches the subject speed and compensates for the slower shutter speed.

If you are taking shots at an angle as in photos 2 and 4 then the actual speed of the subject relative to the shutter speed comes into play and you may need to increase the shutter speed which then reduces the blur effect of the foreground and background.

The thought process is along the lines of:

You can't pan for a subject moving directly towards you so to get a sharp image you need a high shutter speed.

You can pan for a subject moving across your field of view, here the panning makes up for a slow shutter speed and gives you blurred back and fore ground.

The "three quarters" view requires a compromise between the two.

Lastly, think about how you are standing. If you are standing facing the vehicle as it is coming towards you you are twisting your trunk to achieve the "90 degree" panning shot. I always found it best to stand square on at the point I wished to take the shot and twist towards the vehicle before taking the photo, then in panning you are untwisting and pressing the shutter when your trunk is in it most stable position.

tom

 

[desantnik]

Thats the really annoying thing, you fire a burst at a moving subject - you get 3 shots - first two out of focus, last one in focus but clipped and not the angle you wanted cos its the rear....

Happens loads - the one you don't want is pin sharp, the others blurry...

Get used to it

Main solution, don't fire a burst, fire just once - at least you'll never know if the others could have been better that way

 

[srichards]

Thats the really annoying thing, you fire a burst at a moving subject - you get 3 shots - first two out of focus, last one in focus but clipped and not the angle you wanted cos its the rear....

Happens loads - the one you don't want is pin sharp, the others blurry...

Get used to it

Main solution, don't fire a burst, fire just once - at least you'll never know if the others could have been better that way

Ha ha. That is tempting! I just know the one I'd go for would always be the blurry one!

I think if I had been further away it would have been easier. Panning was also hampered by flipping kids that parents just stuck on the fence right next to me. I was concentrating so if they got a lens in the face then it was too bad!

I did stand with feet pointing towards track and perpendicular. Twisted towards the cars and followed them and tried to keep them in the same spot as they went by. I did this with both the slow shutter speed and fast shutter speed. Some cars were easier to follow than others. The f1 cars I didn't even see in the viewfinder they were so fast. I just vaguely waved the camera in their general direction. I have several shots of empty road in many of the bursts but haybales are perfectly focussed

I used the 5 fps and fired off several as each went by. Centre point focus as that's always the most reliable.

I wish I could remember what I did differently with some as they're ok with most of the burst being reasonable.

 

[Chrisbie]

I think panning is quite personal in the techniques that will work for you.
I also use a single point focus but usually off centre and consider the composition.
I then almost put out of my mind what I am shooting and concentrate on keeping that focus point on a fixed part of the car or driver, for example headlight or windscreen.
it takes about fifteen minutes of this for my muscles and brain to get "into the zone" and its like everything slows down and it becomes easy.
I also fire off as many shots as I can , avoid coffee and other stimulants.
Also anything that helps you relax seems to help.
Peace man !!

 

[yoque]

the best add that i can give you is... practise, practise and when tired, more practise

 

[alix]

like others said lots of practice though IS dose help to ;-)

 

[srichards]

I'll have to see if there are any things locally that might be a good practice place. I think normal circuits are out as I only have 300mm to play with. Hill climb seem to be easier as you can get closer on chicanes and such like where they're going more slowly anyway. Where I was at the weekend meant 70mm filled the frame for the side on shots.

 

[dubzter]

I was having this problem at the weekend as well, could the lens play a part in the issue ie how fast the lens can focus? I was using a canon 55-250 which isn't an expensive lens, does give good quality for it's price range but is quite slow to focus.

 

[Mr Bennett]

Not tried it but have heard that continuing to pan after the final shot can make a big difference (like "following through" on a snooker shot)

 

[desantnik]

There's all sorts of ways in which it can go wrong, not all of which are controlable by the photographer to be honest:

1) Distance change for the duration of the shutter vs DOF

2) Movement outside of the axis you are panning (bumps in the track or vehicle body movement caused by acceleration or braking or cornering)

3) Not having achieved focus when you hit the shutter release, particularly an issue when using continuous AF and the subject distance is very close as at that point the lens is having to mechanically work hardest to account for closing distances.

Its actually easier to get a decent pan with a longer focal length and a greater subject distance than a shorter one....

 

[srichards]

I just kept going in a smooth motion and rattled off several as each car went by. The end shots were generally better than the middle ones if anything.

Focussing speed may be an issue. I'm using an old sigma 28-300 that I've had for a number of years.

Some of them were operator error as I was a bit late with some cars as there were also planes going over head so I'd be on a lancaster one second and then trying to grab a zonda the next...

 

[srichards]

Its actually easier to get a decent pan with a longer focal length and a greater subject distance than a shorter one....

I think this was definitely part of the problem. The cars were often only 30 feet away at their closest point. I'd start following them from about 100 feet away or so. I should have chimped more and tried to remember what I did as I think that would have helped work out exactly what strategy worked the best as I tried a few different ways but couldn't really check the results until I was at home, by which time I'd forgotten what I had done!

 

[nikonuser]

I'll have to see if there are any things locally that might be a good practice place. I think normal circuits are out as I only have 300mm to play with.

Sue check out the Oulton Park Track Days they are free to enter normally week days so not many people around and you can get really close to the track so 300mm is fine.....I have a 70-200 and it works fine....you can even get on the pit wall sometimes.
http://www.pbase.com/dav4184/oulton_park_track_day

Dave

 

[srichards]

Ta Dave. Oulton looks like ideal. Free is always good with me

 

[nikonuser]

Free is always good with me

LOL.....you can choose between car or bike days whichever you think may be more challenging
http://www.oultonpark.co.uk/trackdays/car-calendar.aspx

Dave

 

[DjLukeW]

It doesnt take long to get good panning shots. Just practice as much as possible at an event. I used a guide from this site, and took hundreds of shots until I got decent at it. Been to 4 events this year and one more to go at Silverstone.

Settings wise (depends on camera, I use Canon)

1/125 in Tv Mode, Focus on AI Servo and I use the centre point for focus.

Gets shots like this -


_MG_6072 by djlukew, on Flickr

Just keep practicing

 

[srichards]

Oulton looks quite busy so I should be able to get plenty of practice in

 

[pete.rush]

Personally It depends what subject you are photographing, what speed the subject is travelling at, what lens your are using and getting the right shutter speed / aperture to match to create the right motion blur rather than VR OS IS etc. Correct camera settings and a smooth pan get you the shots.

Shutter speeds of 1/30 1/60 or even 1/125 aren't easy to get right especially for someone not practiced in taking pan's. And for someone who said panning is easy, why don't we see more pro's panning, because its not easy to get right and the hit rate can be variable. So apply the 1 over focal length rule explained below to get an idea of somewhere better to start.

A common rule of thumb for estimating how fast the exposure needs to be for a given focal length is the one over focal length rule. This states that for a 35 mm camera, the exposure time needs to be at least as fast as one over the focal length in seconds. In other words, when using a 200 mm focal length on a 35 mm camera, the exposure time needs to be at least 1/200 seconds-- otherwise blurring may be hard to avoid. Keep in mind that this rule is just for rough guidance; some may be able to hand hold a shot for much longer or shorter times than this rule estimates. So for users of digital cameras with cropped sensors, one needs to convert into a 35 mm equivalent focal length, eg 200*1.6 (crop) = 1/320 sec

That will help with setting up the right shutter settings to start with, you can get more adventurous later.

Now, Panning is a technique which requires mastering over time, its not something that you can instantly do and repeat. It require training you body to become familiar with the motion, thus it become almost automatic. What this will achieve is a smooth pan, something that is not easy to master.

Pick up the subject early, focus and pan with the subject, take them image when subject fills 2/3 of the frame, continue the pan after the shot, try and avoid stopping the pan or jerking at the edge will also aid in good results.

You are able to capture pans at slower shutter speeds, but to get everything right in the shot takes practice and a very smooth pan movement, taken at 1/100sec, but generally, I'm taking shots at 1/200 or 1/320 sec because of the speed of the bikes and slightly slower for cars....

1/100 sec

1/320 sec

or even 1/640 sec, but still generate motion blur

300mm f2.8 + 2x TC @ 1/800 sec

Feet position is important to give you a base from which to pan you body, as describe above, you then need to pick the action up early, panning with the on coming bike/car, then when it fills 2/3 screen start to take your 2 -3 images, recompose and take the next shots, remembering to continue the motion after taking the shots, that's also very important.......

Fire single shots not a burst, bursts are a waste of time for a plain old panning shot. Yes you might miss the moment when Elvis and ET climb out the sun roof and roof surf around the track to the sound of the Beach Boys, but... Concentrate on getting your timing right.

Don't shoot into the sun. That amazing corner you (and everyone else with a camera) has discovered where the cars/bikes come inches away from your face is worthless if you are shooting into the sun. Try to work out if/when the sun will have moved off and come back then.

If it is a bright sunny day, consider using a 1 or 2 stop ND filter to get the shutter speed down. Not a problem normally at 1/250th, but as you slow it down you will have problems.

Slow(ish) pans don't work if the vehicle is not on smooth ground. Its generally rubbish for non-tarmac racing as the bumps blur the subject.

Practice Lots.

Same can be applied to aircraft, wildlife etc, set your shutter speed for the lens and the speed of the subject.

Peter

 

[desantnik]

And for someone who said panning is easy, why don't we see more pro's panning, because its not easy to get right and the hit rate can be variable.

That and rarely do panning or other slow shutter shots ever get used for news reporting.... unless you are Darren Heath!

No point in wasting a shot trying for something that even if it does come out the editor won't want it!

Unless you are bored and have your editorial requirements in the bag, then its muck about time.... and if you fancy a laugh, chuck a couple to the editor just to see if you can get one in the back of the net :bonk:

 

[srichards]

Some great tips there I did find 1/200 quite good and 1/320 for the faster stuff. 1/100th was rather slow but I got the odd lucky one. I was shooting toward the sun but it didn't seem to matter as I had a lens hood on and it was fairly high in the sky.

I've got video on this camera so I can practice panning video and see how smooth I can get that

 

[damianmkv]

A lot depends on the speed of the subject. This was shot handheld at 95mm, with my 70-300mm at 1/25s but I guess the car is doing 25-30mph


pow-errrrrrr ! by damianmkv, on Flickr

This one was also handheld, at 125mm and 1/250s but the car was doing around 285mph


tyre deformation by damianmkv, on Flickr

As said above, it takes practice and mine are by no means perfect

 

[Phil Rainford]

The speed of the car is of course one of the critical elements in panning

I actually find it easier to take a GP car at high speed.....

....rather than one that is considerably slower

However I always pick a spot where I know I will click the shutter then point the camera towards the oncoming car let it go out of shot then catch it up quickly taking the shot at the defined spot

As all before have said; it is about practice but it is a bit like hitting a golf ball ...once you have played one good shot more will follow

Phil

 

[alix]

I was having this problem at the weekend as well, could the lens play a part in the issue ie how fast the lens can focus? I was using a canon 55-250 which isn't an expensive lens, does give good quality for it's price range but is quite slow to focus.

i use to use that lens befor i moved onto the 70-200mm L lens and i had great results one of my favs was this

Exposure 0.033 sec (1/30)

 

[Digitall]

An excellent thread for people who are getting rubbish panning shots, lots to consider and lots to do to get the spot on picture. You could try standing in a field next to a motorway or similar to practice your panning, this is something you can do almost anytime.

 

[philwillmedia]

In some of the OP's and some of the other pics that have been posted, it's simply physics at work and there's nothing you can do about it when using a slowish shutter speed.
Don't worry, you're not the first to wonder the same thing...

Unless I missed it, no-one has mentioned the "Parallax Effect".
Put simply, unless you're totally perpendicular to the subject during the exposure time you will get motion blur across some parts of the car.
It's caused by different parts of the car moving at different rates through the film/sensor plane during the exposure.
If the Mods don't mind, here's a link to a thread on another forum that gives the best explanation, with diagrams, of what occurs.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=487139&highlight=how+can

Mods, if the link contravenes forum rules, apologies, and please remove it.

 

[desantnik]

Yep, parallax is best seen with cornering cars in a three quarters "pan", only one part of the car is remaining unmoving relative to the sensor, the rest is blurred by camera movement (you are tracking it round a corner):

 

[tim]

Your stance is critical, make sure you are comfortable and are able to turn through at least 90 degrees without a wobble or shake. I seem to get better results gently resting the base of the lens on the palm of my hand rather than gripping it.

Choose a background or foreground that will also convey the motion and speed when shot at a slower shutter speed. The recycle bin will become your best friend though, I probably have 1 out of every 5 or 6 that's any good. I love panning and I love the effect of using a slow shutter.

An idea of what to expect at shutter speeds

1/80th

SR8 Mini STAR Autograss Crudginton Pete Berry 1/80th by Tim J Preston, on Flickr

1/40th

Goodwood Revival 2012 15 1/40th Handheld by Tim J Preston, on Flickr

1/25th

AMD Milltek 48 Oliver Jackson shot at 1 25th BTCC Media Day by Tim J Preston, on Flickr

Don't go too low it all starts to go a little too blurry

1/10th

Vauxhall Insignia 66 Thorne Shot at 1/10th BTCC by Tim J Preston, on Flickr

Most of all practice! It's very frustrating but satisfying too when you get a decent one.

 

[srichards]

I don't think I'll hang around in fields next to motorways. Would probably get arrested knowing my luck

Oulton park is on the list to visit when it isn't peeing down with rain.

 

[damianmkv]

Do you guys use single point focus or.... ?

 

[philwillmedia]

Don't go too low it all starts to go a little too blurry

Why not...
It depends what you have in mind...
These were at 1/5 sec when I was a bit bored during a quiet practice session, but I had an idea of what I wanted to achieve.

and my editors didn't think they were too bad...

and this at 1/8 sec

Sure, get your safe boring stock shots, but push your boundaries.
I sell plenty of arty stuff to clients - they like it because it's different.

 

[philwillmedia]

Do you guys use single point focus or.... ?

Always single point.
I'm smarter than my camera, and I decide where I want the focus point to be, not the camera.
Rarely is it set to the centre focus point.

 

[damianmkv]

Ok. Thanks - do you aim for the windscreen ( if there is one ! )..or between the headlights..or just play around with different points ?

 

[philwillmedia]

It all depends on where you want the focus point to be...

 

[jimmy83]

Wow, some great photos in here

 

[suggs]

for me i tend to just take one shot on single shutter mode, i pre focus on a spot that i want to shoot then half press the shutter button to lock the focus, than i pic up the target and pan until it reaches the focus point, then fire. works for me but i do also bin some..

1/80th


DSC_4386 by harrylessman, on Flickr