Question regarding panning shots.
Discussion
Attempting to take a few panning shots recently, but not been very successful. Managing only to get the centre point of the car sharp while the borders of the car have some blur to them.
Here is an example:
_MG_1182.jpg by jlewisbarned, on Flickr
I'm using an 1100d with an 18-55 IS lens.
Thanks in advance.
Here is an example:
_MG_1182.jpg by jlewisbarned, on Flickr
I'm using an 1100d with an 18-55 IS lens.
Thanks in advance.
Forgive my amateurish reply, but that is more of an 'approach' shot rather than a 'panning' shot. I would understand panning to be at 90 degrees to the photog as the car passes.
Rob has a valid point though, need to know what your settings are.
Rob has a valid point though, need to know what your settings are.
Edited by silvagod on Thursday 15th December 22:00
I'm guessing you just want to maintain some movement on the head on shot?
For "head on" shots, you want a fast-ish shutter speed.
Exposure 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture f/6.3
Focal Length 200 mm
ISO Speed 200
For panning shots, go as slow as you like (takes lots of practice though)
Exposure 0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture f/16.0
Focal Length 100 mm
ISO Speed 160
For "head on" shots, you want a fast-ish shutter speed.
Exposure 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture f/6.3
Focal Length 200 mm
ISO Speed 200
For panning shots, go as slow as you like (takes lots of practice though)
Exposure 0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture f/16.0
Focal Length 100 mm
ISO Speed 160
RobDickinson said:
One reason why people use rigs to shoot cars...
Quite tricky at your average race meeting though 
Plus rig shots can be overdone, not really a fan myself.As another illustration, these are a couple of shots taken from pretty much the same place at Brands (between Druids and Graham Hill bend), but with the car at different angles. A lot of the time there's nothing wrong with some movement showing in part of the car IMO, it can add to the effect.
1/25 sec:
Britcar Into The Night race meeting 2011 by david_b, on Flickr
1/20 sec:
Britcar Into The Night race meeting 2011 by david_b, on Flickr
Chim Girl said:
Rig shots aren't always possible when wanting a panning shot
Well Duh. But if you want a car going round a corner and the whole car sharp with blurry background , from the outside of a bend its about the only way to do it.Another hint, longer focal lengths will likely cause less bluring of the car as a whole.
Rig shots aren't always possible when wanting a panning shot
Another hint, longer focal lengths will likely cause less bluring of the car as a whole.It's late, and I forgot I was not on my laptop. Edited and reposted as me 
Certainly harder from the outside of a bend that's for sure.
RobDickinson said:
Luca Brazzi said:
Rig shots aren't always possible when wanting a panning shot
Well Duh. But if you want a car going round a corner and the whole car sharp with blurry background , from the outside of a bend its about the only way to do it.Another hint, longer focal lengths will likely cause less bluring of the car as a whole.
Certainly harder from the outside of a bend that's for sure.
RobDickinson said:
Another hint, longer focal lengths will likely cause less bluring of the car as a whole.
Similarly the greater the distance to the subject the less relative movement (or different partds of the subject) there is likely to be. Plus you are likely to working with a greater Depth of Field which will help perceived sharpness.If you find that nothing is sharp at all (unlike the shot posted originally which has a nice sharp front wing area) then you have some other things going on.
The only way to get the whole car sharp is to stand on the inside of a corner. This is because to get the whole car sharp, it must not 'rotate' in relation to the camera for the duration of the exposure (Druids at Brands Hatch is the perfect place for this - see 1st pic below). So in this case the car is driving in an arc, with you at the centre. If the car is moving in a straight line, or cornering away from you, the angle from which you see the car changes from the time the shutter opens to when it closes, usually resulting in part of the car in focus and the rest seeming to 'spin' around that point (see 2nd pic).
Aperture (and so DoF) has absolutely nothing to do with this effect! The only relationship is that you will usually need a very small aperture (high f number) to get a long enough shutter speed without over exposing. So shutter speed, and speed of the car is what is important.
IMG_3588 by motion_captured, on Flickr
c016 by motion_captured, on Flickr
Also, the distance between camera and subject plays a role, since in a given time-frame, the object that is closer will move a greater angle (i.e. you have to turn your head to see a car driving close by, whereas at a few hundred metres away you don't).
Hopefully that's clear, it's a bit tricky to explain in words!
Aperture (and so DoF) has absolutely nothing to do with this effect! The only relationship is that you will usually need a very small aperture (high f number) to get a long enough shutter speed without over exposing. So shutter speed, and speed of the car is what is important.
IMG_3588 by motion_captured, on Flickr
c016 by motion_captured, on Flickr
Also, the distance between camera and subject plays a role, since in a given time-frame, the object that is closer will move a greater angle (i.e. you have to turn your head to see a car driving close by, whereas at a few hundred metres away you don't).
Hopefully that's clear, it's a bit tricky to explain in words!
Edited by tim-b on Friday 16th December 13:11
McMacro said:
Synchromesh said:
This shot demonstrates my point quite well. As you can see, the rear of the car is sharp, but the front is blurred.
That will always happen unless you are COMPLETELY side on (and using a slow shutter speed).N88 said:
Can you explain to me why this is? Struggling to get my head round it! If the depth of field is great enough (I wouldn't say the difference in distance between the middle of the car and the front of the car is very much at all) why would the front still be blurred?
Nothing to do with DoF! It's not a focus issue, it's a moving subject vs long exposure issue. Just as any image will be blurry if you don't hold the camera steady enough, even if the focus is spot on. When you do this kind of shot, to get it completely sharp each part of the car must be 'tracked' to the same position in your viewfinder (so in relation to the camera it doesn't move), while the background is moving it's position in relation to the camera, giving it the blur. Because the car in the OP pic is rotating in relation to the camera (the angle of car to camera is changing as it approaches), that makes the back appear to blur.tim-b said:
Nothing to do with DoF! It's not a focus issue, it's a moving subject vs long exposure issue. Just as any image will be blurry if you don't hold the camera steady enough, even if the focus is spot on. When you do this kind of shot, to get it completely sharp each part of the car must be 'tracked' to the same position in your viewfinder (so in relation to the camera it doesn't move), while the background is moving it's position in relation to the camera, giving it the blur. Because the car in the OP pic is rotating in relation to the camera (the angle of car to camera is changing as it approaches), that makes the back appear to blur.
Thanks for the reply - that makes sense So the only way around is using a fast enough shutter speed?
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