Introduction to following panning: following movements, shutter starting point and trial shooting adjustments

Panning requires moving the camera with the subject

Panning is to move the camera along the direction of the subject's movement, and then select the shutter according to the desired effect. Photography writers at Nikon USA recommend starting following before pressing the shutter and continuing to move after the exposure to avoid sudden interruptions in following due to the shutter action. 〔G-PAN-01〕

The shutter speed depends on the subject and the sense of movement you want to show.

There is no fixed panning shutter schedule that works for all subjects. Nikon’s suggestion is to consider both the moving speed of the subject and the sense of movement you want the image to present; the 1/20 second and 1/30 second listed in the article are just starting points for practice, and the specific results need to be adjusted on site. 〔G-PAN-02〕

Try shooting first, then adjust gradually

First, select a subject that moves slowly and whose route is easier to predict. Take continuous test shots and compare the movement performance of the subject and the background, and then gradually adjust the shutter. Nikon emphasizes the importance of experience and repeated practice in shutter selection; there is no guarantee of a fixed success rate, nor is a single parameter generalized to racing, cycling or running themes. 〔G-PAN-03〕