Panning - Show Jumping

[Tizer]

My wifey does a little show jumping though out the year and the next time we go out i'd like to have a little crack at some panning shots to get some movement into the picture. Its not as easy as doing motor sport, you have legs, tails, riders and umpteen moving parts to deal with so blurring is common place.

I just fancied something a little different and i plan to practice on the other riders before the wife comes around, hopefully i wont panic and opt for a safe mode picture with a high shutter speed which is what i normally walk away with. Nothing wrong with them! Just a little bit..."samey".

Anyone who can offer up some tips i'd be most greatful, i've busted out the monopod to get a smoother pan, other than that, i'm going in blind! Would love to hear from anyone who has done similar.

I'll be shooting with the D7100 and a 70-300 VR or a 50mm 1.8 if the jump is close enough, although unlikely as the crop may well be too small.

Cheers

 

[Durbs]

I suspect (and this is purely in my head) that you'll struggle to get much sharp panning a horse, as the amount of "stuff" moving will make it tricky.

A car for example, will generally be static within the frame when panning - a horse, moving up & down, with a "loose" rider on top will have movement everywhere.

Maybe at a full on gallop, with the rider up in the stirups and abosorbing the motion might give you a static head with blurred other bits...

Having said that, you could still do a panning shot, and if you keep the shutter speed pretty quick (1/6 second?) you'll capture movement and enough sharp-stuff to still make out the riders' face.

 

[Phil V]

As Paul said Panning a horse jumping probably isn't appropriate, panning is usually used to show a moving object as still against the background (which takes on a movement blur).

A horse jumping has movement in all kinds of directions and so if you google show jumping images - you'll find only frozen action, as soon as the shutter speed drops, the IQ has gone.

A horse galloping across the frame can be done, but the legs will be a blur.

 

[neil_g]

by all means pan to let the AF track the horse/rider but forget low shutter speeds to get motion blur, too many variables like you say (rider and horse/heads legs etc can be moving at different speeds and directions).

just as normal watch your backgrounds for uglys (trailer parks, signs, high viz etc) and select an aperture to "lose" the background in the bokeh. and watch that the jump wings don't impede the shot too much.

 

[Tizer]

Aye all comments taken on board, they all fall in line with my thoughts on it too, i'll have a crack at a slower shutter speed as Durbs suggested. Its good to experiment a little