Project 5 - panning with different shutter speeds

image 3708 1/320 sec

image 3709 1/200 sec

image 3710 1/100 sec

image 3711 1/60 sec

image 3712 1/30 sec

image 3713 1/15 sec

For this project I asked my son to run across the garden in front of me, trying to run at the same speed each time. I moved the camera in time with him so that he was always in view in the viewfinder - panning.

3708 - taken at 1/320 sec. This image is sharp and the background is not streaked. Although his movement is frozen it is obvious that my son is running from the way that his clothes are positioned and he has both feet off the ground. If he had been walking I am not sure that the idea of movement would have been conveyed in a photo taken with a fast shutter speed.

3709 - taken at 1/200 sec. His head and face and torso are quite sharp still, but the arms and legs, which are moving faster than the rest of the body when running, are blurred, giving more of a sense of movement. The background is not sharp either.

3710 - taken at 1/100 sec. The arms and legs are more blurred and the background is more streaked than the previous image, adding to the sense of movement. The head and torso are still sharp.

3711 - taken at 1/60 sec. Everything, including the head and torso, is more blurred now, giving a real sense of movement. Also his expression adds to the sense of urgency of the movement.

3712 - taken at 1/30 sec. His facial features are no longer clear, and the image shows that the legs and arms still move faster than the torso and head when running as they are much more blurred.

3713 - taken at 1/15 sec. The background is now streaks of green and not recognisable as a coniferous hedge. My son's left arm and left leg are completely blurred and without a definite outline. I like the way that the sun has lit this image and that my son has a shadow. There is a definite sense of urgency and fast movement in this image.

My favourite image from this series is 3713. I love the movement suggested by the blurring. The sunlight gives a nice shadow adding to the depth of the image.The streaking of the background adds to the overall sense of movement. The fact that everything is "moving" seems to give a more balanced and pleasing photo. On the previous set (project 4), the fact that only the main subject is blurred tends to make the image look "wrong", as if it was a mistake that the main subject is not clear. By panning, the movement emphasised and the blurring is obviously deliberate.

note - project completed 10 9 09