Workshop at the Ranch
May, 2003 Edition

Welcome to the May edition of Workshop at the Ranch. In this issue we will continue with our series What Drives an Image by taking about the use of Slow Shutter Speeds and the Pan and where they are used in the market place. Frozen action is made possible by using High Shutter Speeds usually 1/500th of a second or faster. The use of Slow Shutter Speeds and Panning with the action or an individual subject is nearly a forgotten art and as I will explain, a revenue generating skill. So........let......us.....slow.....down......and.......see......what......happens...............

A classic Pan at 1/60th of a second. A hand held Nikon 600mm at ISO125. The background was dreadful and a Pan would blur the background and allow the skijumper to be showcased. It took several attempts to accomplish one strong image where the subject remained tack sharp against the blur of color.

Same basic technique as the skijumper. A hand held Nikon 400mm and a Slow Shutter Speed of 1/30 of a second. With thin overcast and empty stands in the background I was compelled to go for the Pan. It is the combination of the blur with color as a backdrop for the diver that brings the viewer in for a closer look.

Low sunset light and a Nikon 600mm lens with a 2X converter mounted on a Wimberly Head on a Bogan Tripod. The Wimberly Head allows me to Pan and Rotate in a serpentine mannor............what? That is, I can swing the camera and lens both vertically and horizontally at the same time thus allowing me to Pan in a curving fashion to follow the cyclists around the banked curve of the Velodrome.

Again, using a Wimberly Head to steady the Pan movement, a Nikon D1H , an 80mm-200mm with a 2X converter with a Slow Shutter Speed of 1/15..............Who uses this stuff? you might ask

The Pan American Games is a great multi-sport gathering perfect for the PAN. Great color and easy access venues provide many opportunities to accomplish beautiful images. The stock agencies of the world sell thousands of these kinds of images each year.

The Olympics is a difficult event to have originality in. Hundreds of photographers all shooting the same athletes. Here the Slow Shutter separates me from my colleagues and the editors are thrilled to look at something unique.

This image has resold a dozen times or more. This is a simple scene that is timeless and published multiple times each Olympic year because it says "Olympics" in a unique and generic way. Shot with a Nikon F3, 300mm f2 and a 2X converter from the top of the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

The pages of today's magazines are filled with smash mouth, stop action, sports images. These images of a touchdown catch, a play at the plate, seldom last more than one publishing. To make a living in the photography industry you must be more than quick on the shutter. Today's photographer must have images that are creative and unique. While editorial magazines do use these pictures it is the advertising agencies that use them on a regular basis for commercial use. The commercial usage rate is anywhere from 5 to 25 or more times the value as an editorial image and can resell multiple times as opposed to yesterday's sports news.

Uniqueness , creativity , longevity , revenue accomplished with Slow Shutter Speeds and the PAN. Combine this with last months Workshop on how COLOR drives an image and you will find your pictures taking on a new and exciting look that will start you on a journey beyond the editorial sports page.

I hope you have enjoyed this edition of Workshop at the Ranch.

Adios, Dave