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I have tried, from time to time, to get better at panning to shoot a subject in motion. I took a lot yesterday; two or three were OK. Not great, but OK (that's two or three out of a whole lot) :D

motion1.jpg
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motion2.jpg
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Where I was shooting a tripod was out of the question. I think I would have gotten better results if I had a monopod to use.

Here's one that didn't work at all, but looks like a cool surrealistic image :D

motion3.jpg
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Rusty
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness" - Dave Barry

If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough. - Robert Capa

www.prestophoto.com/photos/gallery/19932
Panning is almost an art unto itself and from what I've read even seasoned photographers don't always get the shots they were hoping for. My DW and I like going to Nascar races and photographing a race car at race speed is more than a challenge. I have a lot of pictures up on my SmugMug site from the races. Unfortunately, most of the shots of the single cars are done during cautions when they are moving at a more respectable 55 mph or so. I read one article of an interview with a photographer that shoots Nascar for a living and he says they can take hundreds of shots just to get 1 or 2 worthy of publication. See y'all in Richmond this weekend!

I like the middle one, although it is a bit overexposed to me.
GeneVH

My SmugMug
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Now on Flickr

CS5/LR4/Nikon D300 & D70s/Win7
Gene,

I'm curious about my "monopod thought". Have you ever tried to use one at NASCAR or do you always try it handheld?

#2 - yeah, but not really overexposed -- probably just my inexpert skills in ACR and/or Elements. #1 and #2 were shot two minutes apart -- same light, same shooting spot. For some reason there is about a 3/4-stop difference in exposure between the two.

Thanks for commenting,

Rusty
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness" - Dave Barry

If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough. - Robert Capa

www.prestophoto.com/photos/gallery/19932
Hey Rusty....

No, I haven't tried carrying a monopod in to a Nascar race yet. The stands tend to be bit crowded since they try to jam as much humanity into as small a space as possible. I could probably do it, but would have to be really careful with it. And I try to be real careful with my camera anyway. I don't want to be bumping in to people with my lens and I always tell the person beside me to elbow me if I get in the way of their seeing the race. So far I have not been elbowed and would like to keep it that way. :biggrin:

Most of the tracks we have been to try to limit you on what you can carry in. The first race we went to at Martinsville, I had walked in carrying my camera back pack, to find they only allowed clear backpacks in. We had parked a bit of a ways away, and going in was downhill. You can only imagine my frustration at having to lug that thing all the way back to the car. I was told I could have left it at the gate and take my chances, but there was no way in hades I was going to do that! I missed the first 120 laps of the race because of that. Now I make it a point to check their rules, but we also invested in a set of clear back packs. I can carry a spare lens in with me, but changing lenses under race conditions is not that advisable and I have not mastered changing a lens with the camera inside a plastic bag, especially if I can't see what I'm doing.

But then, I could always use a large garbage bag and put it over my head. That may not improve my view any, but would improve the view of those around me. :rotfl:
GeneVH

My SmugMug
My PrestoPhoto
Now on Flickr

CS5/LR4/Nikon D300 & D70s/Win7
Rusty,
Panning is an art in and of itself. I have tried it many times with only a few good shots. I find that one trick is to be sure to keep both eyes open when looking through the view finder. That way you can see what's going on while panning and have a better chance of getting that perfect shot. Also remember to start your pan long before you plan to take the shot. This gives you some time to get the camera under control. Also, I try to focus at something at the point where I am going to shoot and hold the button down at that point. Then when I start the pan, I don't lose the shot due to the camera trying to focus. Also remember to pan slightly ahead of the subject. You want the subject entering the front end of the photo, not exiting the back end.
Your second photo is great! I really like it. Colors are brilliant and the main subject is in focus while the background is speeding by. Great image for a border breakout!
Joe
Joe

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Life is too short to drink cheap wine!
This is an interesting thread. What is panning?

Rusty I love what you have done.
Panning is focusing on a moving subject and swiveling your body so camera follows the action through. This blurs the background while keeping the subject sharp. A fast shutter speed and a monopod are helpful. It is really hard to pull off good shots. You did well Rusty. :thumbsup: One tip if you know where the subject will be as with your racers, is to put the camera on manual focus and pre-focus on that spot so don't have to wait for camera to "latch on" or hold down the button waiting.
Thanks for all your comments.

I am still attempting to get to the point of instinctively using all of the features of my camera. I usually remember something after I have taken the shots and the subject is no longer available :D

For this motorcycle guy that was running up an down the street in front of me I should have switched the focus mode to continuous. Naturally, I thought of that afterwards!

One thing that I did remember concerns "shooting stance". Try to decide where the subject is likely to be when you intend to trip the shutter and take up your best stance comfortably pointing at that spot. Then swivel your body left or right to where you will initially pick up the subject and start panning. Your awkward position doesn't matter because you don't intend to shoot there.

Rusty
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness" - Dave Barry

If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough. - Robert Capa

www.prestophoto.com/photos/gallery/19932
Rusty,
One other thing that I didn't mention, but is quite important, is the follow through. Remember to continue panning after pressing the shutter button. This assures that the shot is still in focus. The natural tendency is to snap the photo and immediately stop to look at the results in your window. This is similar to the follow through in any sport, be it tennis, golf, bowling or whatever. Follow through is a major factor in panning as well, but it is an easy concept to forget.
Joe
Joe

Joe's Place
My Zenfolio


Life is too short to drink cheap wine!
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