Tips on smooth panning wanted

Sausages

Sausages

Suspended / Banned
Messages
307
Name
Damian
Edit My Images
Yes
Or editing for that matter :0) I have CS4 but very new to it and relying on utube tuts, (which by the way are useful ;0)

Come September I will be shooting my son and his team throught the u13s Rugby season. I am new to photography and loving it so far, anyway I took my daughter to the park today and thought I would try panning her on a roundabout. Aiming for the blur in the background but clear face shot. Here is my best effort and a wierd one but I like it.

Any suggestions for improvement.



 
the first shot is great, what settings did you use.
 
On a roundabout, you'd find it easier to get a sharp shot if you were on it as well, sitting opposite her - but I do like the first one :)
 
Most important thing to remember is to follow through with the shot. Pick your subject up, start panning, press the shutter at the appropriate moment but keep the camera moving through the shot. It's like golf, you don't the club when you hit the ball you follow though with the swing.
Also the closer you are to the subject the faster you will have swing the camera.
You don't even need fast shutter speeds. I can pan a car doing 100mph at 1/125sec but you need to practice.

Dai
 
Nice shot. Now about tips First, use a tripod
This will hold your camera on the same plane throughout the pan. A fluid head tripod works best since it has a much smoother action. A somewhat slower shutter speed is also needed. You want to blur the background while keeping the subject in focus.
 
lareneg said:
On a roundabout, you'd find it easier to get a sharp shot if you were on it as well, sitting opposite her - but I do like the first one :)
Click to expand...

It was one of those tiny kiddy 4 seaters not a chance with my butt. I did think of it though but I thought I wouldnt be running up the pitch at rugby.

It took a while to get as she kept changing the speed of the roundabout

Glad u like it.
 
alexrock23 said:
Nice shot. Now about tips First, use a tripod
This will hold your camera on the same plane throughout the pan. A fluid head tripod works best since it has a much smoother action. A somewhat slower shutter speed is also needed. You want to blur the background while keeping the subject in focus.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advise. I must remember to keep moving.
will a monopod do as it will be easier at the rugby than a tripod

P.S I think someone else asked what settings I used

f-stop: f/9
Exposure time:1/25 sec
ISO:400
WB was auto
 
shoot from the hips, start side on to the thing your going to shoot, then unwind with the hips. hope that makes sense. mike. :thumbs:
 
Best tip I've ever had for panning is...don't. Or, more specifically, don't until you've got a clean, simple stationary shot - better to have to cheat in photoshop (adding motion blur to a background is a pretty simple task in the whole great scheme of things, after all) and have a picture you're happy with, than miss out entirely.

But once you've got that shot, the best you can do is just to keep snapping. Don't waste time checking if the pictures have worked - just keep plugging away and look at the end and cull the rubbish then. So take spare memory cards!
 
Sausages said:
Thanks for the advise. I must remember to keep moving.
will a monopod do as it will be easier at the rugby than a tripod

P.S I think someone else asked what settings I used

f-stop: f/9
Exposure time:1/25 sec
ISO:400
WB was auto
Click to expand...

For Rugby use a monopod, much more freedom of movement and far easier to use, plus you need to be able to move out of the way quickly
 
The panning shots similar to this that i have seen have been F/16 to F/22 and around 1/60th
 
Rugby's a bit different I'd say - I wouldn't say it's very normal to get motion blur in rugby shots - I think you're better off trying to freeze the action - there were some threads on here by some pros following the IRB london 7s - you should still be able to find them - that'll give you some idea of what a "pro" rugby shot is, and if you scan my flickr, there's a dubai rugby 7s album [Clicky] with some snaps I'm quite pleased with. [i.e. rank amateur shots!]

As stated - a monopod would be worth it's weight in gold, and just go for the fast shutter to freeze the action. :thumbs:

p.s. if you insist on trying to get blurred images [and in fairness, there's one in my flickr that I love:

]

then I'd recommend the method I saw on here - pretend it's a dance - pan-2-3-click-2-3.
 
Rovers_Andy said:
The panning shots similar to this that i have seen have been F/16 to F/22 and around 1/60th
Click to expand...

I double checked the exif and I had it right, but the second shot was f/16 and 1/6.

Thanks to all for the advise. I will be trying all sorts and giving all advise ago.

Even the dance steps 123 :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top