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Using 1/60 shutter speed is a risky shooting method but, when it goes right, the pay off is incredible. That is the case here. A truly amazing shot with both bike and rider caught mid-slide in perfect sharpness. Both the background, and the spokes of the front wheel, are blurred to an extent where no details are visible. This for me is the ideal example of the use of a panning shot. The lack of detail in the dirt and the background highlights the subject which no other shot can at such close quarters.
198 Photographers
469 Images entered
I spent quite a lot of time looking at this thinking. In another review, I have stated having noisy backgrounds is a detriment to a panning shot. I will still keep that as a general rule but this image proves that sometimes rules are made to be broken. Using 1/60 shutter speed is a huge risk as it is so difficult to keep the subject sharp over such a long exposure. This image is testament to the photographers skill: the rider is perfectly sharp and the different colours of the crowd have been blurred by the shutter speed to such an extent that no fine, distracting details are present. The thick black line of the barrier creates an amazing split down the middle, highlighting the contrast between the blurred crowd and the sharp bike and rider.
Nice to see some love given to sidecar racing. A very underrated motorsport. The panning technique is fantastic with riders and vehicle being sharp and the background being blurred. This would be a top 10 image for me, maybe even top 5, but the top of the image is a little too busy. Part of the art of panning shots is having less busy backdrops that don't draw the eye. Other than that, it is an amazing shot.
17,056 Ratings
I recognise that corner. Foggarty Esses at Donington Park is one of my favourite places to shoot panning shots. I myself have got shots of the featured British GT cars as well as Ginettas and the old spec GB3 cars. This photographer has matched their panning speed with that of the car perfectly, ensuring the McLaren is as sharp as possible. 1/80 is already low but perhaps pushing it down to 1/60 shutter speed would result in a background with fewer noticeable details. Either way, a great shot.
Brief
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I am looking for your photos of any form of motorsport that has been captured by panning. This technique involves moving the camera to track the vehicle, often resulting in the vehicle being relatively sharp and the background displaying motion blur. Please only enter photos that have the effect of panning that was captured in-camera, not images with motion blur added in post-processing.
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Something I struggle a lot with when shooting motorsport is making the shot look interesting. This photographer has achieved that and more. The angle of the rider and bike in the image makes it incredibly dynamic. This is further emphasised by the subject being pin sharp with a nice background blur with the low shutter speed. Overall, a highly worthy podium finisher.
