# Panning (first try)



## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Took Rufus out to try to get some evening light but it was minus 35 with the wind chill. To make matters worse I forgot his boots and he kept his feet off the ground.










He refused to get back out of the car so I tried to get some reflection shots like Ilessurmada with no real success.










Back home we tried some panning shots. If you look closely you can see one hair in focus, or maybe not. It is harder than it sounds.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I absolutely love the first shot  (although poor Rufus - and you are going to be in sooooooo much trouble when HO see's it  ) 

I love the panning too - such a fantastic effect with the lights behind and his neck being the only part not in motion


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## Lindor (Feb 3, 2014)

Great shot but boy are you going to be in big trouble for taking him out in the freezing temps.


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

Oh dear......I thought you meant for gold! So confused, then realised it must be a photography term! I need a drink!


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

My first thought is... Are you mad saying on here that you took Rufus out in -35 with a simple woollen jumper and no boots? You are going to be in big trouble when Fuzzi Wazzi comes on here. 

I adore the first pic by the way. Wow!


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Never mind the HO being cross with you, I feel inclined to tut -  Poor Rufus - and heaven only knows how cold his bottom was  (But the photo is amazing)

Panning - wow. I have so many questions - do you pan in the opposite direction to the one the dog is travelling and is the aim to pan at the same sort of speed as the dog is travelling? What shutter speed were you going with?
I am thinking that light is an issue too.
Also love your background with the coloured lights - I tried just now as I ran the dogs out after Liz and I got home from music school and riding (been out since 8:30 ) and give myself a huge F. The camera ran out of battery after 3 shots, I had no treats and no stooge to encourage the dogs to run across me. Inzi runs circles around me, which was my best ploy as easier to control her speed, but tough to encourage her to run further out and concentrate on what I'm trying to do and keep an eye on what the curly ones are eating/rolling in. Also no pretty lights in the back ground. And it was too dark really. Maybe a bit of her leg is almost in focus?


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I believe the aim with panning is you move the camera at the same speed as the subject in the same direction so you capture them in motion and the background is blurred.

Our first attempt this morning was poor too - presenting my excuses before the photo  we are confined to the garden I am on my own and the light was rubbish (I also ran out of battery ) 

So this was out best effort which is poor - hopefully will have another try tomorrow


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Wow 2nd that is a really nice shot. The way all four legs are in motion and the background is blurred is exactly what you are after. 

Marzi the idea is to depict speed. I was using 1/10 and you follow the dog as the shutter opens and closes. If you use a really fast film speed the subject can look artifically frozen, amost as if you used a stuffed dog. With panning the focus is rarely perfect but it can tell a better story, especially if the background has a bit of interest (like lights). 

I am going to keep trying with Rufus trying to improve the focus. I collected a stack of his toys and balls and threw them down the hall, it would be an awful lot easier with a helper.










I got this from naldzgraphics online, if you google images of panning you will see tons more.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Tried some action today but not sure whether this is decent panning or just a decent camera and better light so a good speed - do I need to reduce the speed Fairlie?





































We are still confined to the garden so not really enough distance I think - Molly has a different cone now  she is fine if she is busy to taking it off for spells but back on as soon as she starts her licking


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

I'm not offering any advice re panning, but Chance looks great 
Poor Molly how is her leg?
Are you not walking in case it was some irritant she encountered when out? Or to ensure she does not get hot and hence heat up the hot spot - how long will you be on restricted exercise


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

We are going out - just not offlead as although it has healed up totally to my eye Molly disagrees and thinks it needs lots of licking still  so I am wary of getting it dirty and pretty much anywhere is muddy and filthy 

Hopefully we will be back to properly out and about next weekend


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

If there was ever a case of the blind leading the blind this is it! I have zero experience panning, except for those attempts I took of Rufus by the tree. The last ones of Chance are fantastic, but I don't think it is panning, unless you swept the camera as you took them and used a low film speed?

I think maybe the point is that intuitively we know that a photo with blur means motion. You could blur the dog (easy) or blur the background (panning) or blur both (my specialty). 

Look at images of dogs running and jumping you can see some (taken at extremely high speeds) where everything is "too" sharp. The ones where there is a bit of blur, in the background, or at the dogs legs or fur are actually a little bit more convincing. Did you know that many nature photographers work with dead bugs?


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Thanks Fairlie - I was moving the camera along with her but think I need to use a lower speed to get blurring of hopefully background with not too much of the dog blurred - going dark now so we will try again next weekend 

My first photo in this thread was 1/100 and these latest are either 1/400 or 1/640


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Just had a read up (yes it would have been useful before trying the photos ) and seems I should be using 1/30 or 1/60 as maximum speed to get something like this 










http://digital-photography-school.com/mastering-panning-to-photograph-moving-subjects/


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Aie Carumba, now that is a what I am talking about. What a beautiful lab in all its running glory!

Just watched the video by the guy on feeding his dogs for the iditarod, from your raw vs. kibble link. Fascinating stuff. Maybe if I fed Rufus more fat he'd be willing to put his paws down outdoors? (In my defense we were driving and he was out of the car for that photo shoot for less than one minute.)


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

*My attempts have always failed...*

This is one from last summer... I gave up after continuous blurred legs and tail. Also I think I was using 1/40, maybe needed to try a bit quicker, poor lighting and distance from lola didn't help. Ah well. 

I like moving water pics.. Getting better at those. They are easy in comparison.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Ahhhhh I love that Ruth


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Ruth that is a beauty.


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

Hmmm.. I got the focus mainly on her butt rather than her face


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

'That' is Lola - and* she *is BEAUTIFUL... the photo is good too


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

*Taken by Daycare on Nina's first day...*

Kind of panning... What do you think?


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

*My waterfall pic...*

Like this one 

Also... Have some of a Donegal sandstorm which I must upload. The top layer of sand was moving in the wind towards the sea. I didn't capture well but it was still cool!


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

Marzi said:


> 'That' is Lola - and* she *is BEAUTIFUL... the photo is good too


She's a good subject alright!


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

One for you *Marzi*.. I call it sleeping beauties (Jenny will *kill*me) 

Just imagine yourself in Jenny's position. 

I think I will name you on my will as Lola's guardian!


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

Only just catching up with this thread, lovely photos everyone, 
somehow - after reading the title, I imagined fairlie wading in a riverbed with a pan sifting for some golden nuggets!!


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Love the picture of Nina - that is at the girls' doggy day care isn't it? I spotted the dalmatian in the background. 
It would be wrong to wish you ill.... but Lola would be most welcome if she ever needed me


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

Marzi said:


> Love the picture of Nina - that is at the girls' doggy day care isn't it? I spotted the dalmatian in the background.
> It would be wrong to wish you ill.... but Lola would be most welcome if she ever needed me


Yep, that was Nina's first day in day care. The song, "it's because I'm happy now..." Goes well with that pic. She was such a wee star on her first day. That's Izzy, the owners spotty dal in the back ground. Used to be Lola's best bud, but Izzy really look to Nina as a pup and they are now firm buds.

Lola's delighted Auntie Marzi would be there!  She comes with Nina too though


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Yay! Forget I ever said anything about not wanting 5 dogs


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

Marzi said:


> Yay! Forget I ever said anything about not wanting 5 dogs


You won't even know Nina is there! She's the quietest, kindest, laid back little shadow you could ever have. All she needs is a lap


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## dmgalley (Aug 19, 2012)

I love it Ruth. She is such a doll.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

OK - we have had another try today with much better weather and light.

This is Dave



















and although everything else was wrong with this one I like this one best of Chance and Queenie


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Just beautiful. I could look at the last one for ever. Nothing about it is wrong that I can see. You don't need better exposure at the back because it is all about the beautiful dogs, action and chase.


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Fantastic pictures - I love that last one too


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## Miss Lilly (Sep 12, 2014)

Absolutely! Cool shot! 

You really don't need better exposure as fairlie said. But if you shot in RAW, then you can usually pull back quite a lot of over exposure in Lightroom, Photoshop or another decent editing software.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I have to say thank you to Fairlie for the challenge.

I normally stay very much in my comfort zone with photos and for action I use a fast shooting speed and try to freeze the action as much as I can. I took some my usual way today too  but made a real effort to try for something different. I confess I would not usually have glanced twice at these when looking through them afterwards but I do like the energy this gives.

I am far too lazy generally to shoot in RAW but I wish I had for this one to try and tweak it a bit


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Energy is exactly what that photo conveys.

Happy to pull you out of your comfort zone 2nd, they say it is very good for us.

I just wish I had some time to play with my camera and Rufus. We have another new calf and I am hauling water by hand for two thirsty babies and their Mamas several times a day. On the plus side I have never been fitter in my whole life.

Chilepepper










Beansprout


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I agree - good to come out of comfort zone sometimes 

Now Beansprout is lovely but Chilepepper is just super gorgeous  

I guess everything is frozen solid for you? Hope your sister is doing well


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