*For more information visit AdoramaTV YT page, and of course you can keep up with David on Instagram and Twitter @DavidBergman. LATEST UPDATE: David opened up new IGTV episodes where you can ask him questions live! find out more at http://www.AskDavidBergman.com
in this quick tutorial we are going to talk about panning shots and how you set yourself up for the best chance at successfully making one. Photographer David Bergman from AdoramaTV walks us through the best technique.
Mr. Bergman explains: “When I say panning, I’m talking about moving your camera at the same speed as your subject to make a photo that shows some motion. This is a really cool technique where the subject is relatively steady but the background is flying by.”
“The main camera setting to worry about is shutter speed. You generally want a slow shutter speed because if it’s too fast, and everything will be frozen, including the background. Specifically how slow you go depends on how fast your subject is moving. The correct shutter speed is subjective but the idea is to find a balance so that your subject is frozen and the background is blurred. A car going slowly down the street is different than a car during a race. A person on a bicycle is different than a person walking on the sidewalk, so you need to experiment in each situation, and find what works best for you.”
“Once you know your shutter speed, either by shooting manual, or in shutter priority mode, and make sure you are on continuous focus mode, so that your lens keeps the subject in focus as they move. You’re going to be shooting a series of bursts, and you want your subject to be sharp in every frame.”
“Focal length is really important too. When you shoot you’re going to be moving the camera at the same speed as your subject, and try to keep them in exactly the same spot, the entire time, while you’re taking bursts of images. Personally I prefer to do this with a longer lens, because the movement stays pretty consistent. If you shoot with a wide angle, you have to speed up dramatically when they get close to you. It still can be a cool photo, but I find that my chance of success is much higher with a long lens.”
“Long lens also tends to blur the background a bit more, which is a look that I like. In the end the key to making great panning shots, is practice and patience. Set your camera correctly, and choose the right lens. But take your time and shoot a lot of frames. All you need is one great one and you can call it a day.”
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Watch the full episode with David Bergman and Adorama TV: