The Art and Science of Action Panning Photographs

We have probably all seen images in which the photographer has panned with the action—photos where the subject is in fairly sharp focus and the background is blurred due to the motion of the camera. The subjects you might have seen in action panning photos include cars, trucks, airplanes, runners, motorcycles, bicycles, etc. Done well, action panning photographs are a pleasure to look at and, believe it or not, action panning is not the most difficult technique to learn with your camera. However, getting great results can be a bit of a challenge. Let's dive into the technique and grab some tips on how you can start to become a master of action panning photographs!

Photographs © Todd Vorenkamp

The Goal of Action Panning

The goal of action panning photography is to create an image in which a subject in motion looks relatively sharp and clear while the background appears streaky and blurry. The key to a successful action panning image is having something acceptably sharp in the frame. You do not want everything in an action panning image to be very blurry, but some blur can be expected. (The examples in this article show various degrees of success with eliminating blur while panning.)

What Is Action Panning?

In order to create an action panning photograph, you just need to put together two ingredients: 1) something in the photograph needs to be in motion and; 2) you, as the photographer, need to follow the motion of that subject with your camera while you take the photo.

For clarity, a panning shot with a static subject is called "camera blur." A static shot with a moving subject that blurs is called "motion blur." And, a static shot of a moving object with a very fast shutter speed is called "freezing motion."

The Science and Math

Like all things photographic, you can apply mathematics to the challenge of action panning. Thankfully, my math skills are horrid, so this article will not touch on that in any sort of depth.

There are a few things to keep in mind that might be obvious, but bear mentioning here.

1. The faster the object in motion, the faster you need to pan.

2. The closer you are to the object in motion, the faster it will pass through your field of view. For example: Stand perpendicular to a highway two miles away from the side of the road. A car driving at 65 mph at that distance will look much slower than one driving by, also at 65 mph, a few feet in front of you.

Camera Settings for Action Panning

1. Shooting Mode: Set your camera to shutter priority mode. You want to be in control of the camera's shutter speed. If you are new to panning, do not worry about setting your aperture or ISO—let the camera do that heavy lifting. As you get more proficient with the technique, you may, by all means, adjust those variables.

2. Shutter Speed: It is important to know that there is no magical formula for action panning shutter speeds. If you need a starting point, then use 1/60th of a second. In reality, the shutter speed will depend on the following factors.

• Speed of the object(s) in motion.

• Your panning speed.

• The distance to the object(s) in motion.

• The amount of blur you are trying to achieve.

So, start at 1/60th and check your results and adjust accordingly.

3. Focus: I personally find that manual focus is the way to go for panning shots. Autofocus can work, and it has for many photographers when action panning, but you are likely doing an extreme performance test of your AF system, and results can vary. Depending on the scene/scenario, if it is feasible, I will select manual focus and "pre-focus" at the distance where I know my subject will be. This will allow me to focus on the panning and I will not have to worry about the autofocus trying to lock onto a rapidly moving subject.

4. Drive Mode: You can certainly pan using single-shot mode or "motor drive" continuous shooting modes. What you choose is dependent on the scene and the image you are trying to capture and how long you will be panning.

Extras

1. Tripod or Monopod: Yes, you may use a tripod or monopod for an action panning image. However, if you're just learning the technique, it might be best to do it handheld to maximize your flexibility as far as camera positioning goes.

2. Neutral Density Filter: On a bright, sunny day, a shutter speed of 1/60th of a second will bring in a lot of light, even with a tiny aperture. Using a neutral density filter can help reduce the amount of light coming into the camera so that your action panning shots are not completely overexposed.

Technique

Action panning is relatively simple.

You set up your camera (see the settings above) and, as a subject in motion comes past you, you rotate your body and the camera with the subject and release the shutter. When the shutter closes, keep panning with your subject to ensure that you haven't stopped panning prematurely.

Reality

Even though the technique is simple, getting good results can be difficult. Action panning is just one more segment of photographic technique where practice makes… almost perfect. I won't say "practice makes perfect" because I do not think there is such a thing as a "perfect" action panning photograph—there are only poor, average, good, and exceptional action panning photographs.

Practice, Practice, Practice

What is the best way to practice? First, you don't want to make the neighbor's kid log hundreds of miles on their bicycle, riding past you and your camera, so that you can practice panning. Instead, just go out to a relatively busy road near where you live and start panning with passing cars. If you live in a crowded city, you can have literally thousands of passing subjects. In a small rural town, you will get less traffic, but cars are generally around. Absent cars, it's time to pay someone to get some mileage on their bicycle or running shoes!

If possible, practice during the dimmer daylight of dusk or dawn so that you can have a bit more flexibility with your shutter speeds. The mid-day bright sun might keep you from effectively slowing your shutter down far enough that you aren't getting overexposed images.

As you are practicing, check your results on the camera's LCD and think about whether you need to adjust the shutter speed or, maybe, be faster or slower at your own panning. Do NOT worry about finding a magical shutter speed or aperture, because the next time you are doing an action panning shot, the conditions will have changed, and those settings will be invalid.

Practice, practice, practice. That is the only way you will get better at action panning.

 

Do you have any questions about how to do action panning images? Let us know in the Comments section, below!