In photography, panning is a popular technique for creating a sense speed and motion in your photos. This guide will show you how to pan the camera from left to right, or right to left, while keeping its base fixed to capture dramatic action shots.
By blurring your background, you can create a sense that your shot is moving.
The best camera settings for panning
- exposure mode: Shutter priority
- Shutter speed: 1/20sec – 1/50sec for the majority of subjects
- Drive mode: Continuous shooting
- Focus mode: manual
- Focal Length: Wide-angle to Midrange Zoom (10-20mm or 2470mm).
These settings are only starting points. Test your shots to see if your background is blurred and if your subject is sharp. If your subject appears too blurred, you can increase the shutter speed. If you want to reduce the sharpness of your background, lower your shutter speed.
Use your Shutter Priority Mode to maintain a constant shutter rate. Aperture Priority will adjust shutter speed in order to maintain a constant value of aperture. For consistency, the shutter speed must be constant throughout your pan. This is why Shutter Priority mode is so important.
- Sample Photos with Camera Settings for Every Scenario
Focusing on the panning
There are two ways of focusing when panning. You can either use autofocus or Manual Focus. When to use autofocus or manual focus? We’ll tell you when.
Use manual focus when panning
Manual focus can produce more consistent results but requires patience and practice. Manual focus is best used when the subject will remain at a constant distance and its movement can be predicted. Cycling and car racing are two perfect examples. They will always travel in the same general direction and will be at the same distance. You can focus on a particular spot and wait for them.
Use autofocus when panning
When your subject moves in an unpredictable way, it is best to use autofocus. Track your subject with AF-C in these situations. Many cameras have subject tracking and recognition modes that make it easier to track your subject.