Panning technique using smartphone

First of all, this technique is harder to get on a smartphone comparing to DSLR

cameras because of devices limits. In automatic mode (the default mode all
cameras starts on smartphones) the time setting is always the minimum
possible. Therefore you need to access camera in manual mode and take over
the automatic settings. Since we are not planning to use a gray filter to reduce
the amount of light hitting the sensor, the best moment for panning pictures
outdoor is in the evening or even at night. The reduced ambiental light will force
your phones camera to use a long exposure.

Lets go to manual settings of your phone and check what we need:

- Set your ISO value from automatic to the minimum value possible (usually
50 or 100). This will reduce the sensitivity of your sensor and will require a
bigger amount of light for a proper exposure. Combined with low light
around you, this will require a longer exposure to reach a proper exposure
- Go to time setting and choose a value of 1/2 or 0.5 which means half a
second to record the picture. ATTENTION: this value is not the delay to
trigger because you dont need to set a waiting time before the camera is
shooting. This is the duration of image recording on the sensor and it can
be found usually close to ISO setting.
- Take a picture and check the exposure. If the colors are too dark, increase
ISO value to 200 or more. If the picture is too bright, reduce the time a
step or wait a bit more to get darker outside.
- When you reached a good exposure (picture is acceptably bright/dark) find
a moving subject and follow it with your camera. When you managed to
move your hands in a way that will keep your subject still in your picture,
tap to shoot while following the subject. The ideal result will be a clear
moving subject while the background has a motion blur.

Final comments:

- Even for experienced photographers is not easy to get a good shot with
panning technique. The more you practice it, the better results youll get.
- There is always a little delay between the moment you push the trigger
and the moment when the recording starts. Try to push it before the object
comes to the closest point.
- According to composition rules, the subject of your picture should enter in
the frame, not going out of it, consider an appropriate framing.
- Subjects that simply change their position (trains, cars, planes) might look
better that subject that also change their shapes (people running, birds
flying, etc)

NEED:

- Screenshots for iPhone camera settings

- Manual camera maybe?