Here’s a technique I’ve never mastered: Using a 35mm camera, (Pentax K-1000, totally manual, for example), how do I shoot a moving object (my subject) such that the subject is in focus, but everything else is blurred, giving the effect or impression of “motion”? I WAG this can only be done by using a tripod (or monopod) and panning with the camera such that there is no relative motion between subject and camera. (This is assuming I am not shooting head-on [like looking out the front window of a car] to the subject, but rather the camera is perpendicular [like looking out a side window of a car] to the path of the subject.)
If I am correct, then I’d need a slow enough shutter speed to allow for panning and slow film with, perhaps, a large aperature to get the right exposure, correct?
C’mon, what’s the secret to this? Any tricks to make this simple?
Actually you undertsand what you need to do perfectly. Just need to practice a little. Personally I wold not use a tripod or monopod but learn to hold the camera so it becomes an extension of your body. Tuck your elbows in tight and move your torso, head, arms and camera all together as a unit to get more smoothness when panning. Appropriate shutter speeds depends on the focal length of the lens and angular movement of subject from your position. Longer shutter speeds will emphasize the effect of background linear blurring.
IMHO you’ve got an excellent camera to learn photography with. If you aren’t already developing your own B&W film, start so you can practice and learn m ore. You can easily setup to do film and contact sheets in the bathroom without an enlarger.
You can also get a nice effect by using a neutral density filter and a smaller aperture to increase the exposure time. Then simply have your subject stand/sit still in a crowd and everone else will be moving. Makes a very effective shot of a couple kissing on a busy street,
I second what Padeye said about tucking your elbows in and moving your whole torso and camera smoothly together. I would add that if you try to trigger the shutter at the same instant you start your pan, the results won’t be good; the beginning of your motion will invariably be jerky, and the resulting shot will not look smooth.
Instead, start your torso-twisting pan first and trigger the shutter only once you have a smooth pan in progress. If you time it right, the shutter will be open only in the middle of your pan – not at the jerky beginning or sudden end.
And, of course, the closer you match the speed of your motion to the speed of the subject, the less apparent motion the subject will have, resulting in cleaner, less blurry subject.
If you’re mechanically adept, you can build a boom, put the camera on it, and attach the contraption to your subject matter. Then the camera is still in relation to the subject.
Not a real good idea for, say, track and field athletes. But very good for cars, airplanes, etc.