Panning experience (and "tutorial")

[vvizard]

I wen't out with my Sigma 70-200mm to try this out for the first time the other day. Heard it should be quite difficult to master, and yes, it's not very easy, but I found it much easier than expected, and think the results where quite good. The technique I used, was to stand in some distance with my telezoom. Standing firm with my legs with my knees bent a little, use the AI-servo on the 10D, and track the car by moving my waist and torso. When the car was in the right position, I pressed the shutter, and continued the movement for a while, so that I had movement as long as the shutter was open. I started safe, at around 1/250. It gave way to little blur for the setting. If you stand quite far away with a telezoom, the speed of your own movement won't be so much as if you're up close with a normal lens, so therefore you will need slower shutter-speeds to create the blur (at least that's what I think out of my physics-knowledge and experience from this test). I went down to 1/125, and the result started to get where I wanted. I zoomed in on the LCD to check sharpness. When I started to get quite good shots at 1/125, I started to concentrate on other things that would improve the shot. Like getting the to fill almost the entire frame, but still not have any parts of the vehicle capped off at any sides. _THIS_ is the difficult part I found out. Requires much practice. And the closer to the vehicle, the more difficult it will be, cause then the speed of your movement won't be constant. It will be rather slow until the car is in front of you, but just as it passes you, you will need to accelerate your movement a lot. But it will also give more blur if you manage to pull it off good. I found out beeing on some distance (60 feet or so) with a telezoom worked best for me. Then my movement could be quite constant, without any need for a last-minute whiplash acceleration ;) I practiced for an hour or so, and as I got "better" I went to slower shutter-speeds. At the end of the practice, I was shooting at 100 - 150mm at 1/90 and 1/60 and got good results (at least I think so). I also found out that to increase the feeling of speed, it's good to get low (not shooting from an elevated position). Although my two best shots where from elevated positions :-P Here they are, what do you guys think?

http://www.vvizard.net/pics/vvizard/forums_and_other_shait/panscan1.jpg
1/125 @ f/4.5, 108mm (35mm equiv)

http://www.vvizard.net/pics/vvizard/forums_and_other_shait/sigma28_pan.jpg
1/90 @ f/5.6, 150mm (35mm equiv)[/img]

If you would like to try it yourself, go ahead, it was quite fun, and I was satisfied with the results after standing out there for just an hour or so. And oh, you better not be shy, cause _EVERYONE_ will stare at you when you're standing along the road, tracking their cars with something that might look as a bazooka in the distant ;) *hint* don't try panning military vehicles during war with big tele-lenses ;)

[Cadwell]

Yup... panning takes practice.

DON'T practice the way I did, though. In search of some fast moving cars I went and stood on a bridge over a busy motorway. Judging by the number of brake lights that came on, I suspect my camera with large(ish) lens on was mistaken by the motorists for some kind of speed camera / laser gun.

I decided to leave before I caused a major crash. :oops:

[iwatkins]

Nice work. Looks like you are quickly mastering it.

Another thing to try. Try to frame the car so that it has room to move in the frame. By that try to place the front of the car 1/3 of the way into the shot with the back of the car close to the edge of the frame (3/3). When you get a good sharp image (but with blurred background and wheels) the image works a little better in my eyes as you are leaving 1/3 "room" for the car to move into. I hope that makes sense.

One thing I find very useful is to keep both eyes open. This way, your eye not looking through the viewfinder can keep an eye on the car. With practice this can help keep your panning smoother and hence a lot less blurred car images.

Of course, your next challenge (should you wish to accept it) is to try and do panning shots in the braking zone of a race track. I was at a track day at Bedford Autodrome (here in the UK) yesterday trying to get some shots of a car my mates are developing/testing. Trying to get a nice panning shot when a car is braking from 100+ mph down to 15mph all within 60 metres is not easy. Of the 500 or so shots I took yesterday, I don't think I have that perfect panning shot of this corner (still haven't finished checking yet though).

Panning isn't easy, don't anyone ever tell you it is. Getting the perfect shot is never guaranteed. Lots of shots and lots of practice can help. I think you did well. :)

(I'll try and post some of the shots from yesterday later).

Cheers

Ian

[vvizard]

I'll take up the practice on the racing-track :) That's the main reason while I'm practicing panning now. Don't have the problem of tracking cars braking from 100mph - 15 in a short time, but the opposite.

I'm doing webmastering and photography for "Big daddy Dragracing" this year. It's a quite "out of the ordinary" team :-P I've known the driver for years, so I got some pics of them right after I bought my first camera ever last autumn. So the quality sucks :-P But here it is:

http://www.vvizard.net/pics/vvizard/forums_and_other_shait/pict0454.jpg
Taken just before the 2002 christmas. The car right after they started prepping it for drags.. ( '71 Ford Mustang ) And right next to it, (believe it or not) it's owner and driver (18 year old cute blondie) :-P

She only drove one drag in the 2003 season, since she didn't have a driver-license until the end of the season. They only got 300-400bhp in it at that time, so they drove in the "Street-legal" cup (1/8 mile). But anyway, in her first (and only for the season) she made it to the final. Up against the current norwegian champion in that class. He got psyched out on the start-line, and red-flagged. So she won =D (Two days after getting her drivers-license) But "daddy" haven't got the reaction, or speed that his daughter have, so she'll now be driving every race in the 2004-season. By having her as the driver also made it a "little" easier to get sponsors ;) Sponsors for dragracing in Norway is quite hard to get. Their new engine (and engine-crew) is 100% sponsored now.

http://www.vvizard.net/pics/vvizard/forums_and_other_shait/siws_mustang.jpg
Here's a pick I took of their car in a dragrace last Autumn. Her daddy which is driving here though, and the pic is _very_ "motiened-up" in PS ;) That's why I'm practicing panning now ;)

Although, looking eagerly forward to the 2004-season to see how well she will do it in the "real" quarter-mile races. :)

[Motorsports Photo]

4 wheels is much easier than 2 wheels.

Just had to toot my own horn with a a quick pic.

-Pete

http://web.raex.com/~speedy/IMG_6644.jpg

[IndyJeff]

vvizard you are getting the hang of it.

Like getting the to fill almost the entire frame, but still not have any parts of the vehicle capped off at any sides. _THIS_ is the difficult part I found out.

Yep. That is the hard part. One trick you can use is to follow a car on the track thru the viewfinder. When you see it as you would like it on the image freeze and stop your movement. This may take a couple of times but you will find the full frame view. Look over the camera and see where you are pointed each time the car comes into full frame. Now stand with your shoulders square to that point. Rotate at the waist to pick up the next car coming into view but keep your feet pointed to where you were when the shot you wanted is located. Now as you pan with the new car coming into the area, you will feel when you are back square with that point.
Take a few shots and make any adjustments you see fit. Maybe you want to shoot a little before or maybe a little later. Dont be afraid to leave a little space in front and behind. You can always crop in PS to tighten.
Here is a film shot that "happened" perfectly. When enlarging, the tip of the car was right at the edge of the print and the wing had very little space behind it, just enough to include all the fire below the wing.
http://racing-action-images.com/media/Harrington95.jpg

iwatkins gave a good tip too about using the 3rd method for showing motion. By leaving space for the car to "move into".

Experiment, afterall you don't have film cost or development costs to worry about anymore.

[nucki]

I think its just a matter of experiance... try, and then you will get good results...

In this pic I just wanted to have that writing to be almost sharp

The B&W was taken at 1/30th. I just wanted that the car is unsharp and in motion.... looks ok I think...

best regards
Peter

http://www.picturebase.at/bilder/USA/IMG_0102_640.jpg

http://www.picturebase.at/bilder/blackwhite/IMG_0099_bw_640.jpg