How to take PANNING PHOTOS | Wildlife Photography for Beginners

Learn how to successfully take those challenging panning shots when you're next on safari.

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Many beginners and amateur wildlife photographers wonder how to take panning photos when they are in the field. It's a very creative wildlife photography technique that requires the right settings, lots of practise and a bit of luck.

The trick to taking good panning shots, is to use a slow shutter speed. Switch to Shutter Priority (S/Tv) and choose a shutter speed value between 1/5 sec and 1/50 sec, depending on how fast your subject is moving. If it's walking slowly, use a slower shutter speed, and if it's running/flying, use a faster shutter speed.

In order to prevent over-exposure at such slow shutter speeds, also switch over to automatic ISO so that the camera can drop your ISO value if necessary. On relatively bright days, it may go as low as ISO100 and when it's very sunny, you may not be able to take nice panning shots without over-exposing, simply because it's too bright. That's why panning shots are typically best taken early in the morning, late in the afternoon or on overcast days.

Once you've got the right settings, you've got to get the panning technique right, and believe me - it's not that easy. You have to keep your subject, which should be moving parallel to you, in frame, lock focus on it, and then take the slow-shutter photo WHILE the camera is moving with the animal. You can take, then move the camera, or move the camera and then take the shot. It has to be one fluid movement and action - pressing the shutter button while the lens is moving from one side to the other.

The toughest thing with panning photos is actually finding animals that walk parallel to you at a fast enough speed.

Remember that not all your panning photos will come out perfectly. In fact, probably only 1 or 2% of the photos you take might work. But don't let that discourage you! Believe me, even us pros have a low hit rate. That's because it's nearly impossible to know what the right shutter speed is for each sighting. Most of the time it's trial and error. Just make sure you 1) keep the animal in the frame; 2) you keep it in focus; 3) you move at the same speed as it; 4) you press the shutter button while the lens is moving and 5) you take as many photos as possible. If you do these five things, you're giving yourself a sporting chance to get a good panning photo.

And remember, the whole animal doesn't have to be perfectly in focus. As you saw from the examples in the video, only parts of the animal has to be sharp. As long as you have that, together with a nicely streaked background, it's a good panning photo.

Best of luck taking panning photos of wildlife when you're next on safari. I really hope these tips helped you. And if you'd like to improve your wildlife photography skills even more, please follow the link at the top of this description and enrol in my online course called Wildlife Photography for Beginners and Amateurs.

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[WildPhotographicSafaris]

Great explanation of a very fun technique, nice one Villiers !!!

[-media]

Good information. All the best to you and the course. Based on the quality content here, I'll bet your course will help a lot of people. When I discovered this technique, it blew me away. I have been able to create some very artful and memorable images with these techniques but there is always one in the crowd that wonders out loud why you couldn't get everything into focus. LOL. My favorite things about these techniques is #1. how they make the subject stand out from the background, and that is one of the photographers primary jobs, that is to direct the viewers eye to the area of the photograph chosen by you, #2 I love how these techniques bring images to life with a magical, energetic, and sometimes surreal quality. Glad to see somebody talking about this. Awesome content. Not too long.

[felixifloresrodriquez]

I enrolled in the course and learned a great deal. Recommended 100 percent as always great content

[jameslaskin]

Really enjoying your videos. I have watched many in the past and now that I am in Kenya for a few weeks I am rewatching in preparation for 6 days in the Mara. Question. I have a full frame Sony A7iii and a Tamron 150-500mm. When I want to take a pic of an animal a little too far away, am I better off to just take the pic as best I can and then crop in post OR should I switch to the crop-sensor mode and make my lens relatively longer. I am thinking it is all about mega pixels and in which situation I get the most. That said, I am so Help.