Panning for gold

This is another great kinetic image. The whole scene works so well as much for the coloured reflections on the water as for the jet ski in the frame. The photographer used very long exposure of half a second and despite this has captured a sharp fast moving object. There is something particularly photogenic about the overlapping blocks of reflective light on the left of the frame. The blue, white and red of the jet ski echo the colours in the rest of the frame.

I adore this image. It isn't so much about sharpness as it is about panning motion, which produces a superb atmospheric depiction of this fabulous creature. As many of you may know, elephants can be quite aggressive and dangerous in the wild, and this one was luckily nicely secured in an enclosure at San Diego Zoo. But this doesn't remotely take away from the brilliance of this picture. A faster shutter speed would have been far less effective, and the warm tone of post-production treatment works well.

If one ever needed a textbook example of professional standards of panning then this is it. It's PIN-SHARP across the entire subject whilst also depicting plenty of movement in the grass verge and track. The shallow depth of field also helps to keep you firmly focused on the rider. I can't be sure if this is cropped from the original, but if this is in fact full-frame the photographer deserves a special commendation for a superbly accurate panning action. The secret with this kind of picture is to start the panning action before the subject comes into the frame so you are already up to speed as it moves into view.

This is a crisp, highly competent pan. It's a lovely shot with elements of reportage as this mum takes her entire family on her scooter. As is so often the case, having at least one of the subjects looking into the camera adds strength to the image. A rich palette of colours and hints of the urban environment behind the subject all add to the interest. It's great when the speed of the pan obscures the background, but allows just enough to show through to be recognisable.

What an exquisite execution! There are so many things to love in this picture. The panning action is totally perfect. The light on the bottom of the wings, the punchy tonal range, and the hint of blue sky at the top of the frame all add up to a superb photograph. The green hedgerow to the left and the right of the frame really helps the composition. Having said that, I think it would also have worked if it was cropped on the left to make the bird bigger and to offset the buzzard to one side of the frame.

What a fabulous crisp image. I love the way the bike is perfectly centred in this picture - not an easy thing to do with a fast panning shot. The bike itself is pin-sharp, but there is movement to the wheels, which is a perfect combination in my view. The way the rider's face isn't visible, as he looks back at other competitors, is a welcome change from the norm. The slope of the track and the fact that it's right on a 180 degree bend all provide interest in the frame. I also love the shadows and the hard sun.

I do love this image and it's so powerful in black and white. It reminds me very much of the kinetic photography of Martin Munkácsi that he shot on the streets of Berlin in the 1930's. It's a timeless image, and the subject's clothes, as the photographer has stated in the image description, makes it look quite Parisian. There is movement in all the right places - background, wheels, hair -and it all helps to invoke a sense of speed. Slight shame about the raised arm of the guy behind.

This is a worthy winner - I knew the minute I saw this shot that it was a strong contender for the top spot. There's a great sense of movement here and the shot also depicts the grace of these fabulous cats. It was shot at a shutter speed of 200th of second, which suggests quite a dramatic panning action! The monochrome treatment works really well too. And the fact that the composition leaves space in front of the animal really helps. The elevated viewpoint is also a big plus point as it keeps the background nice and simple. I love it!

The picture was taken at 1000th of a second so it's difficult to prove that the photographer was actually panning when this was taken. Having said that, it would be incredibly good fortune to frame it so perfectly if the camera was static at the time of capture! The front aircraft is lovely and sharp, while the rear jet is moving at several hundred miles per hour in the opposite direction and the contrast between the two levels of movement really reinforces the sense of speed and drama.

This is a fascinating image with so much to look at. There's good panning action on the main rider with real sense of speed. I like the fact that there is a limited range of colours and the red lifts the scene. If I had to criticise this picture it would be for the fact that the front rider is cropped. I wonder what other captures taken in the same session are like. I suspect there may have been other views with a slightly better arrangement of the riders.

There is great energy in this shot. It has just the right level of movement, and the speed of the horse's legs means that they blur more, but the level of blurring on the body is perfect. The mid-tone adjustments work well to reinforce the reportage nature of this shot. The neutral background helps enormously in drawing your eye into the subject as does the slight vignette to the shot. I also love the expression captured on the rider's face. It would probably have also worked in black and white .