What is Panning?

Panning is NOT panoramic photography, and the two are sometimes confused, especially by the novice camera user. Both techniques involve the ‘panning’ of the camera, but in very different procedures as far as the photo taking process goes. As far as still photography goes, panning is the technique of moving your camera angle on a horizontal plane, from a pivotal point. When we speak of the panning photo technique, we make use of this movement from a pivotal point, keeping a moving subject within the confines of the viewfinder, and firing the shutter one or multiple times as the camera moves in an arc like fashion on a horizontal (sometimes vertical) plane. This is an advanced technique and to start working on it you need to have a clear idea of how aperture and shutter speed work, and also the relation between them. With a little bit of practice and maybe a little bit of luck on your side, you could start making stunning panning images in a few shoots’ time.

Shooting with a digital camera is not really that different from film photography; at least as far as your thought process should go. Digital has many advantages over film, and the digital-film debate we can safely say is over, digital having found the edge. One of the clear advantages of the digital format is the preview feature, which allows you to see your photographs the minute after you shoot them, practically simultaneously. This has become a very useful learning tool for beginners, apart from its obvious advantages.

Shooting landscapes is a classic avenue of photography, popularized to its peak by the ‘father of landscape photography’ – Ansel Adams himself. No article or write-up on landscapes can be complete without the inclusion of this iconic name.  As we have discussed earlier about the fact that photography finds its roots from classic art, landscape photography is a fine example of how these two realms of art still remain well linked.

There are quite a few reasons why a beginner may want to try his hand at landscapes. For one thing, you don’t need ‘fast’ lenses and terribly expensive equipment to start shooting landscapes.