essential skills: digital photography in available light
Panning
Photographers can follow the moving subject with the camera in order to keep the subject within
the frame. This technique called ‘panning’ allows the photographer to use a slower shutter speed
than would otherwise have been required if the camera had been static. The ambient light is often
insuffi cient to use the very fast shutter speeds making panning essential in many instances.
For successful panning the photographer must aim to track the subject before the shutter is
released and follow through or continue to pan once the exposure has been made. The action
should be one fl uid movement without pausing to release the shutter. A successful pan may not
provide adequate sharpness if the focus is not precise. In order to have precise focusing with a
moving subject the photographer may need to use a fast predictive autofocus system or pre-focus
on a location which the moving subject will pass through. Locking off a focus point and exposure
setting by half pressing the shutter release button is especially important when using a prosumer
digicam where the shutter lag may otherwise prevent the photographer from capturing the precise
point in the action.
ACTIVITY 3
- Create images of a running or jumping fi gure using fast shutter speeds (faster than 1/250
second). Vary the direction of travel in relation to the camera and attempt to fi ll the frame with
the fi gure. Examine the image for any movement blur. - Take four images of the same moving subject using shutter speeds between 1/15 and
1/125 second. Pan the camera to follow the movement. The primary subject should again fi ll the
frame. Comment on the visual effect of each image. - Create an image using the panning technique.
Jana Liebenstein