Day Five

Panning

Keeping the Subject Sharp While the Background Blurs**

Today you learn one of the most surprising movement techniques:

panning — moving your camera with your subject.

Instead of trying to hold still,
you deliberately move in the same direction as the motion.

The result?

Your subject stays sharp
while the background streaks into motion.

It’s energetic, dramatic, and endlessly fun —
and once you feel it, you’ll want to try it on everything.

What Panning Actually Is (Soft, Simple Explanation)

When someone or something moves in front of you,
your instinct is to stand still and try to freeze them.

Panning is the opposite:

You turn your body and camera with the moving subject,
matching their speed as smoothly as you can.

This keeps your subject in focus
while the world behind them blurs.

It creates motion
without losing clarity.

What Panning Works Well For

• people walking
• running
• bikes
• cars
• dogs
• kids playing
• someone swinging
• birds flying
• anything moving in a predictable direction

This doesn’t require perfection —
just timing and smoothness.

How to Pan (Beginner-Friendly)

Here’s the gentle version of the technique:

Stand still, feet planted

Let your upper body rotate —
not your whole body walking.

Choose a moving subject

Someone walking is perfect.
You don’t need speed.

Set a slow shutter speed

1/15
1/30
1/60
These speeds create beautiful background blur.

Start following the subject before you press the shutter

Turn your torso smoothly as they move.
Match their speed with your camera.

Press the shutter gently, without stopping the motion

Keep tracking them through the entire movement
even after the shot is taken.

Smoothness matters more than precision.

iPhone Panning Version

iPhones don’t let you change shutter speed,
but you can still pan beautifully with the right motion.

Here’s how:

1. Stand steady

2. Tap and hold to lock focus

3. Move your phone with the moving subject

4. Take the photo mid-sweep

5. Try Live Photo → Long Exposure for more dramatic blur

You’ll get a softer, more subtle version —
but it absolutely works.

Today’s Practice: The Panning Test

Choose one moving subject outside or in a hallway:

• a person walking
• a cyclist
• your dog trotting
• cars on your street
• someone jogging
• even someone pushing a stroller

Take three panning photos:

Photo 1 — Slow Motion (1/15)

The background will be strongly blurred.
The subject may be a bit soft — that’s okay.

Photo 2 — Medium Motion (1/30)

More balanced.
Good sharpness + good blur.

Photo 3 — Faster Motion (1/60)

Easier to keep the subject sharp.
Background blur will be softer.

iPhone:

Try three different motions (slow sweep, medium sweep, faster sweep).

What You’ll Notice

• The subject stays clear-ish
• The background stretches behind them
• The photo feels full of energy and direction
• You created motion without losing focus
• The results are unpredictable — and fun

This is creative play
with real artistic potential.

Why This Matters

Panning teaches you that movement isn’t something to fear or fight.
It’s something you can move with,
shape,
and turn into story.

You’re no longer guessing how motion will look.
You’re guiding it.

Tomorrow, you bring everything together with movement awareness in real life, so you can confidently shoot anything moving — kids, pets, crowds, water, life.