“You gotta move your feet if you want to eat!”

~Anonymous ~

I can’t remember the first time I heard this expression, but it rings true on so many levels. We live in a world of perpetual motion. Fall behind in your professional or personal growth and life passes you by like a warm breeze on a summers day.

Photographers often face a similar dilemma when it comes to their craft… capture a slice of life with a fast shutter speed or pan your subject and allow for an ocean of motion? There are no right or wrong decisions here. Personal preference comes into play and both will suffice.

I’ve always enjoyed panning. It doesn’t fit all subjects and genres and thus has to be used selectively to be effective. When done correctly, it can be pure magic and surprise you with a plethora of of color & light streaks you simply couldn’t visualize before snapping the frame.

What exactly is panning some of you might ask? In short… It’s the process of photographing a moving subject with a slow shutter speed. You frame your subject as early as possible in your camera and follow them as smoothly as you can as they pass you. The ideal shutter speed will vary depending on the subject. Personally, I find 1/15th or 1/20th works best for athletes who are running (i.e. football, lacrosse, etc.). Faster moving subjects (i.e. bicycles or cars) usually require shutter speeds of 1/30th, 1/60th or faster. The speed of the subject and amount of blur you desire will dictate the best shutter speed for the desired outcome.

A well executed image can better tell an athletes story. A panned image can bring the viewer into the frame and allow them to feel the speed & agility of a ski racer charging down the mountain at 50-60mph.

Capturing the subject with some form of clarity is usually the end objective. I’d say sharp focus, but this isn’t always the case. We’ve all seen photographs where the amount of blur and color renders the decision as to what the subject is to the viewer. “Art is in the eye of the beholder” comes to mind.

Panning is always going to be a low probability endeavor. Don’t be surprised to shoot 100+ images and only walk away with 1 or 2 winners. This is par for the course and you shouldn’t get discouraged. Use your motor drive (old school for frames-per-second) and lower your f-stop to f16 or f22 to increase your odds of getting more keepers. I should add, for aesthetic purposes, select a colorful background and let the picture come to you. This isn’t always possible and depends on what you’re shooting. Sporting events usually fall into the ‘take what you can get’ scenario.

Over the decades, I’ve burned a fair amount of print film trying to capture the perfect panned image. So much so, I could probably fund a year of private college today with the amount I spent on developing & printing. Todays digital world doesn’t have a cost constraint, so fire away. I’m still in search of the perfect panned image and will continue to experiment. I’d encourage you to do the same.

Until next time…

Cheers.