Being able to capture good images using a
DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera can be extremely rewarding and some of the best pictures that we can take tend to sometimes be the hardest. Once we have a pretty good understanding of some of the cameras functions both on automatic and manual we can focus on the job of putting this information to good use. One of the hardest images to capture tends to be of something that is moving, but there are ways to make it a little easier to master...
Photographing inanimate objects really is the place to start and by using the same object in totally different settings and light can give us a lot of information and feedback.
Moving on from static objects with more knowledge we now want to explore the world of moving objects and photography.
When starting out using panning photography it is best to first revert back to the automatic settings until confident that being on manual will not be the difference between capturing the shot and missing a great shot. Once you have the image firmly locked on start to follow the images motion slowly with the camera, while at the same time zooming until the image is now the size that you want for your picture. Take the shot and review.
Learning to take good pictures panning can be achieved on a gradual progressive basis like this. Find a road that you can stand a reasonable distance from and not be in any danger from passing cars. For best results you want to find a fairly long road where you will have plenty of time to locate a car in the viewfinder focus, zoom and shoot.
A good result should show the car as clear as if it was standing still and you captured the image using a tripod, while the foreground and background should be blurred from camera motion and not aperture settings.
Try the same method on a motorbike, this is improving your technique as it is not only a smaller object to focus on, but also tends to be moving a lot faster. Taking pictures of anything outdoors on the ground is always made better when the sun is behind you and certainly Not in front of you, this is essential to great results for panning photography, unless you want the images to be silhouettes.
This is because whether the sun is behind you or not if you photograph something in daylight looking straight up in will more than likely have the silhouette effect.
One of the main reasons it is a good idea to start photographing flying objects by using aircraft is due to their overall size, this in itself tends to make panning photography with them a great starting and learning point.
Now onto birds in flight, using the car and aircraft theory we want to start off with something that is not only big, but also slow and graceful. One of the best birds to start learning panning skills on is the seagull; they tend to tick all the boxes when it comes to getting a great shot.
The seagull is fairly slow in flight and tends to glide more than fly, not only that but they also do a lot of low level flying when it comes to catching fish or hovering in a bay on the thermals.
Moving on from the seagull should be a natural progression, but as a rule of thumb, the bigger the bird the easier it is to capture in flight. When you move down to smaller birds it can often be the case of hit and miss many times, but one little trick I have learned is that if there is a specific bird in your area that you are trying to photograph it is well worth simply watching his/her movements a few times before you actually try and photograph him/her.
Also setting up shots for birds is a good way of getting great pictures too.
Panning photography is certainly an art, but if the photographer studies and learns from initial attempts the end results can be pretty staggering in a relatively short period of time. Keeping the camera steady and smooth at all times is critical to the overall results, and it is even possible to use a mono-pod in some instances for even more clarity, but panning free hand should be mastered first.
