When you have a moving subject you have an opportunity for dynamic images.
One of the most amazing things a camera can do is capture a fraction of a second in time. We love to see images that show drops of water suspended in mid-air or athletes performing amazing feats frozen in time.
Partly, this fascination is because these moments happen so fast that we can’t see them clearly when they happen in real time. But it is also because when we look at a photograph, we can take time to examine it and look all around the scene and be amazed at many aspects of the event we captured.
There are a number of different ways that we can capture movement. As I just mentioned, first we can use a fast shutter speed to freeze the moment in time. A second way is we can use a slow shutter speed to create blur in an image as the subject moves.
One of my favourite ways of using a slow shutter speed is to follow my subject as it moves through the frame. This is called panning.
When you follow your subject as it moves across the frame and use a slow shutter speed you can get a blurred background and a sharp subject.
To do this, you want to make yourself as tightly centred as possible. Try to imagine that you are on a pivot point. You want your subject to move across the frame, not towards you or even at a diagonal.
When capturing a picture that has movement blur, the most important factor for a successful photo is the shutter speed. When I am trying to have some movement blur in my image, I start at 1/15 of a second and adjust from there.
Most of the time I use my camera, I am in aperture mode where I choose the aperture and the camera selects the shutter speed. This is one of those times where I use shutter speed mode because the shutter speed is the most important variable in the image. So I select the shutter speed and the camera selects the aperture.
Ideally, you will have a number of opportunities to capture the object that is moving. It is easier if they are a fixed distance away from you and moving parallel to your position. So subjects like cars on a road work well but subjects that move in all directions like players at a football match will be more difficult.
This is not an easy technique and you will need several attempts. Remember to take a look at your camera’s display and check the results you are getting.
If all your images are blurry and your subject isn’t sharp in any of your attempts, then try a faster shutter speed (1/20th – 1/30th of a second).
If there isn’t much movement in your image because your subject is moving slower, try a slower shutter speed like 1/8th of a second.
When panning with the subject moving across your frame, you need to continue with your panning movement before and after you release the shutter. Don’t take a picture as you start panning. Start panning and then release the shutter. You may want to put your camera in continuous release and fire off more than one frame.
The success rate may not be extremely high, but when you capture an image that works it will really pop. Remember that even though the background will be blurred, it is important to have a clean background without any distractions. Look for bright colours that might distract from the subject in your final image.
Lens Choice
Lens choice is very important in the case of panning. Getting close to your subject with wide angle lens will make it much easier to keep your subject sharp and still blur your background. This workshop is much more difficult with a telephoto lens as all movements are amplified by the narrow depths of field of a telephoto lens and it is harder to keep your subject sharp.
Workshop: Movement – Panning with your subject
Find a place with steadily moving subjects you can try to capture.
Put your camera in shutter priority mode and start with a shutter speed of 1/15 of a second. Use a wide angle lens. Focus on your subject when they are further away and follow them (pan) with your camera as they start to approach your position.
Before they are closest to you, release the shutter (don’t be afraid to fire off a bunch of images) and continue to follow their movement even after you have finished capturing pictures.
Look at your results. You are trying to get a sharp subject with a blurry background. Not all of subject may be sharp; if your subject is a person, their body may be sharp but legs may be blurry.
If the subject is always blurry in all your images, you might want to increase the shutter speed to 1/30. If there isn’t a lot of blur in the background, you might want to decrease the shutter speed to 1/8 of a second. In each series of images, you may only get one or two that work.
What you need:
Wide angle lens will give you a higher success rate.
A place where there is a consistent flow of moving subjects, like traffic or people walking
Remember (Your focus):
Start with 1/15 of a second and work from there – this is a great time to be checking your camera’s display screen for your results.
Find a background that will not distract from your subject.
Keep your camera tight to your body and pan with your subject.
Continue to pan after you have pressed the shutter release.
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