Panning is a dynamic photography technique that captures a moving subject in sharp focus while blurring the background to convey a sense of speed and motion. It’s popular in sports photography, wildlife, street photography, and motorsports.
What Is Panning in Photography?
🏃♂️ Tips for Panning Photography Settings
Smooth Tracking: Rotate your hips and torso, not just your wrists, to follow the subject smoothly. Start tracking before the subject enters your frame, and continue after you press the shutter.
Focus Mode: Use AF-C (continuous autofocus) with a single focus point to keep the subject sharp as it moves across the frame.
Burst Mode: Shoot in continuous mode to capture multiple frames, increasing your chances of getting a perfectly sharp subject.
Light Management: In bright conditions, use a polarizer or neutral density (ND) filter to reduce light intake, allowing slower shutter speeds without overexposure
| Focal Length | Shutter Speed | Aperture (f/) | ISO | Subject Distance & Speed | Key Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70-200mm (at 200mm) | 1/100s - 1/200s | f/5.6 - f/8 | 100-400 | Distant/fast subjects (e.g., race cars on straight) | Telephoto compresses perspective; easier to blur background. Faster shutter needed to counter camera shake. Use monopod for stability. |
| 100mm | 1/60s - 1/125s | f/5.6 - f/8 | 100-400 | Mid-range subjects (cyclists, runners, cars in curves) | Versatile range. At 1/125s, wheels blur while keeping subject sharp. Use AF-C with single point. |
| 18mm (wide-angle) | 1/15s - 1/30s | f/8 - f/11 | 100-200 | Close/fast subjects (cars passing close, bikes, trains) | Wide angle exaggerates speed. Slower shutter needed for blur. Use ND filter in bright light |
Note: These are starting points. Bright sunlight may require ISO 50, apertures above f/16, or ND filters to avoid overexposure at slow speeds. Always review your shots and adjust.
💡 Pro Tips for Better Panning Results
- Practice often: It’s a skill built on muscle memory and coordination.
- Use an elbow support or a monopod to reduce shake.
- Match subject speed: The more your motion matches theirs, the better the blur effect.
- Don’t crank ISO too high: It may cause noise at slower shutter speeds.
- Shoot at mid-zoom: Wide-angle lenses minimize blur; 50–100mm is more effective.
🏁 Final Thoughts: Panning Elevates Your Motion Photography
Panning isn’t just about technique—it’s about storytelling through motion. With your Canon 850D and the right lens, you can create dynamic shots that freeze action yet convey momentum. By practicing and fine-tuning your settings, you’ll master one of the most rewarding techniques in creative photography.
Best Canon Lenses for Panning Photography
| Lens | Key Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM |
- Perfect for beginners - Lightweight with fast STM autofocus - Image Stabilization (IS) helps control motion blur |
General-purpose panning, beginner setups |
| Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM |
- L-series optics for sharp results - IS Mode 2 specifically for panning - Fast USM autofocus |
Motorsports, wildlife, and professional action shots |
| Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM |
- Budget-friendly telephoto - Lightweight with STM focus motor - Great image quality for its price |
Capturing runners, cyclists, and distant moving subjects |
| Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD (Canon Mount) |
- Extreme zoom range for versatility - Vibration Compensation (VC) for stability - All-in-one travel and action lens |
Travel photography, sports, and long-range panning |
The Panning Pro Quiz
5 quick questions⚡ Think you mastered the drill? Prove it.
You're at a bike race. What's the ideal starting shutter speed for a clean pan at 100mm?
Which AF mode do you select on a Canon (EOS 850D) for a moving cyclist?
True or false: you should stop moving the camera as soon as you press the shutter.
Why do we set IS mode 2 (on Canon lenses) for panning?
You shot a burst at 1/60s. On review, the subject is sharp but the background has hardly any blur. What now?
✏️ The real test is outside. Grab your gear!
#PanningDrill
🎯 Your mission — shoot one winning pan this week. Share your sharpest shot.
What's your weirdest panning fail? Blurry nose? Tilted horizon? Scared pedestrian? We want stories!
📌 SEO tip: share this quiz with #panningphotography #CanonEOS850D #motionblur — and don't forget to follow through like a pro golfer 🏌️
Panning in Advertising
2 Advertising Campaigns That Failed (And Why)
McDonald’s: “The Fry” (2020s – Various)
| Campaign Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | McDonald’s |
| Concept | Various ads attempting to make McDonald’s fries look fresh and appetizing. |
| Why It Failed | Many of these ads suffered from “too much motion, not enough focus.” They would show fries in fast-motion or with excessive camera movement, which actually obscured the product. In panning, you need a sharp subject against a blurred background. These ads sometimes blurred the fries themselves, making them look unappetizing or fake. Viewers couldn’t connect with the product because it was never truly “in focus,” leading to low engagement and recall. |
Kendall Jenner x Longchamp: “Bag Panning” Ad (2022)
| Campaign Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Longchamp |
| Concept | A social media ad featuring Kendall Jenner walking with a bag, using a panning shot to showcase the product. |
| Why It Failed | This ad was criticized for “missing the point of panning.” The panning motion was too fast and jerky, making the bag itself blurry and hard to see. In fashion advertising, the product must be sharp and detailed. By prioritizing the “cool, fast motion” effect over product clarity, the ad failed its primary job: to showcase the bag. Viewers commented that they couldn’t even see the product properly, rendering the ad ineffective. It’s a perfect example of using a technique for its own sake, without respecting its purpose. |
🏆 3 Successful Advertising Campaigns Using Panning
1. Airheads Candy: “Oh Snap” (2025)
| Campaign Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Airheads Candy |
| Agency | Highdive |
| Concept | Revived iconic 2000s “head inflation” ads with new slapstick scenarios. |
| Why It Succeeded | The ad uses a metaphorical panning effect: characters’ heads inflate like balloons, then snap forward—visually mimicking the sudden, sharp focus of panning against a chaotic, blurred background of flying goggles and candy. It scored in the top 15% for short-term sales impact (86) and top 40% for brand equity (63) . Its “super power” was distinctiveness, with 32% of viewers recalling the brand specifically because of the inflating heads—a perfect example of creating a visual “sharp subject” in a sea of motion |
2. Nike: “Write the Future” (2010) World Cup
| Campaign Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Nike |
| Concept | A cinematic ad showing footballers whose every move on the pitch dramatically impacts their nation’s fate. |
| Why It Succeeded | The ad masterfully used camera panning and tracking shots to follow players like Wayne Rooney. The backgrounds blurred into hyper-stylized, high-stakes scenarios, keeping the athlete in sharp focus while the world blurred around them. It became a viral sensation and is still studied for its storytelling through motion. |
3. Discovery Channel: “Gold Rush: Pan for Gold” (2012)
| Campaign Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Discovery Channel |
| Concept | A mobile ad campaign where users physically panned their smartphones (shaking them) to “pan for gold” in a virtual simulation. |
| Why It Succeeded | This campaign brilliantly translated the physical act of panning into a user interface. By using accelerometer technology, users created their own “motion blur” of swirling dirt and clay to reveal gold and a promo video . It drove a 30% lift in premiere date awareness and a 26% lift in intent to tune in, with mobile engagement rates over 12 times the benchmark . It proved that the feeling of panning—the hunt, the motion, the reveal—is a powerful engagement tool. |
