Try this technique when the light levels
pan bird flight plummet or you want creative motion shots
“Sometimes, the bird in action photos can
appear frozen, lacking the drama and speed
that was there at the time,” shares pro wildlife
photographer Sean Weekly (seanweekly.
com) – whose tips feature on this spread.
“One technique to bring back the excitement
is panning, using slower shutter speeds
combined with a sweeping motion of the
camera at the same speed as your subject.”
A successfully panned shot will show your
subject off sharply, while the background
is blurred. Aside from being used to create
a deliberately aesthetic blur, panning is
also a boon to rely on when the light is
low and you have no other option but to
set an extended exposure.
For handheld panning of the camera, you
need to be rock-solid. Rather than twisting at
the shoulders, lock your elbows down then
turn at the waist so your torso and hips pivot
as one. When you’re using a support such
as a tripod or monopod, make sure the headyou’re using allows smooth and effortless
camera movement across the frame, such
as a gimbal head.
To shoot, start by setting a shutter speed of
around 1/100sec (the exact duration depends
on the speed of flight and bird size) then try
to keep the bird perfectly central in the frame
as you pan. It can be tricky, but get it right and
the subject will be sharp while the background
and wings will be blurred. It’s also worth
shooting straight-on to blur the movementLearn to pan Follow these top tips for a reliable panning technique
1
Shooting mode if you aren’t
comfortable shooting fully manual then
set the Mode dial on your camera to shutter
Priority mode (s or Tv). This will let you
control the shutter speed more easily.2
Fast bursts set the shooting mode to
continuous. as well as having a better
chance of capturing the important moment,
you will also minimise camera shake from
pressing the shutter button.3
Auto Focus mode it’s easier to track
the unpredictable movements of birds
using a continuous autofocus mode, and
use back-button focusing to lock on to them
as they move.Techniques