Say Cheese

During the summer, all summer long, every Tuesday night, there are bike races just up the road from here. It’s a fun way to try your hand at panning, which is what I like.

I have to say, it’s a whole heap harder than it looks. For example, you see a group of bikers coming round the corner. Choose a rider to focus on, press your shutter release button half-way down, thereby focussing on that one rider. Without releasing the button follow your focussed rider until he is right in front of you, click the shutter and continue to follow him with your camera after you have released the shutter button. That should give you a nice motion blur all around the rider but have the rider in focus.

I don’t mind telling you, it takes a few tries.  My problem is always the same - I tend to click too early.  It takes some discipline to wait till he’s right in front of you - click - then follow through.  This picture gives you an idea as to how it should turn out.  Notice the blurred background with biker and bike in focus.

Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t turn out the way you’d hoped.  Like everthing else, it takes lots and lots of practice.

Well, that’s the joy of a digital camera.  Click away - no worries about using up film.

Tags: bicycle races, bike races, panning, races, racing