Well the truth is, I think I may have mastered the theory…just not its application. For those of you who were kind enough to read my previous posts on the outcome of my review with Ami Vitale, you could say I have mastered the science of panning, just not the art. But since photogrpahy is all about applying the science to create the art, I thought I would continue my trend of sharing the nuggets of advice that I am given as I journey to become a more competent photographer, but also in the hope that it might prove useful information for you and others.

When I was doing some research online, I found lots of information about the basics of panning spread over a wide range of sources, but no concise or easily digestible set of tips – no “a-ha” ideas that would be some secret sauce to successful panning. In fact the most useful tip I got was not from the web at all, but from Matt Brandon (aka The Digital Trekker), who was humble enough to admit that it was Gavin Gough whom had given him the idea!

So as I researched, I jotted down a quick checklist to help improve my chances, because the one thing that all the different sources agreed on was that getting panning right was definitely an art and required lots of practice. So here is the list I collated, pompously entitled “10 tips for mastering panning”, in the vein hope that it might help with my SEO ranking!

1. Go on a 1 day workshop with “Mr Panning”, Gavin Gough. Okay so not all of us can get to Bangkok in the next few months to be able to make this happen, but I did run my checklist by Gavin, and with his blessing, I have included much of his wisdom in this post.
2. Camera Setting: Set the camera to shutter priority mode: TV mode (Canon) or S (Nikon).
3. Shutter Speed: Use the following starting shutter speeds as a guide for different types of panning:

People running – about 1/15th sec.
People walking – about 1/8th sec (NB watch out for increased camera shake!)
Horses/donkey/animals/bicycles etc about 1/15th sec -1/25th sec depending on speed
Motorbikes/Tuk-Tuks/Scooters/Camels about 1/30th sec

4. Drive Mode: Set to multiple exposure if you have it (like a motor-wind). This will allow you to not “lock-up” at the critical moment of pressing the shutter, although you will end up with 20-30 frames – which if you are anything like me, you then can delete about 20-30 of them immediately – but it will increase your chances of getting a great shot especially early on in your panning experience.
5. Stance: This was the tip that Matt Brandon/Gavin Gough shared. Stand at 90 degrees to the line the subject will travel along, with your feet firm. Then rotate your upper body around to where the subject will start from. It feels a little awkward, but as you pan with the subject, so the arc of travel is smooth all the way through the panning, without an awkward twist midway through.
6. Composition: The subject can either be in the centre of frame , although off-centre can work just as well with panning, but then you need to adjust the focusing point to ensure that it’s going to fall over the subject as you’re panning. So move it to the left or the right of the frame, depending on where you think the subject will be. It’s often easier to get the subject in the centre though.
7. Background selection. Choose an interesting background with good colors that will create a nice blurred effect in te final image to help re-inforce the motion in your shot. If you look at my two camel pictures, the image with the red truck is more interesting, but unfortunately the focus is not as good as the second image.
8. Exposure: If you’re shooting against a pre-defined background with consistent lighting then switch to Manual and get the exposure correct by just pointing the camera at the scene where you want to catch the panned object and taking a meter reading. Take a frame, check histogram and adjust manual exposure. Otherwise adjust your exposure as normal after taking some test shots.
9 Focus. If you set the exposure manually, pre-focus and switch to manual focus then all you have to worry about is getting the person/camel/scooter in the frame. Otherwise use the AI servo mode on Canon or the continuous servo AF on a Nikon.
10.Dry Run. Do a couple of dry runs without actually taking a shot. Gavin told me that  ”It’s that “click” that makes people stop moving the camera. Think back to cricket nets, golf driving-range or tennis coaching, it’s all in the follow-through.” This is where the stance and the drive mode can really help, as you can swing through in a smooth arc and not worry about judging the critical moment.

The other piece of wisdom which you will recognise as soon as you go and try is that panning is REALLY HARD! So it does require lots and lots of practise.

So how did I get on?

Well you can see from the images included in this post that I had mixed results. Whilst sometimes I got my panning or my shutter speed right, I then forgot about my composition! The subject is either too early in the frame, there are other distracting elements or the background does not really work or I needed to crop more tightly to get a sense of more involvement.

I did learn that camels bob up and down as they run forwards, which make great panning shots almost impossible as you have two axis of motion to contend with! Secondly the faster a subject is moving (and I am not suggesting that Formula 1 racing cars are therefore the easiest thing to shoot!), the smoother my panning was. For example, the motorbike shots seem to be consistently better in terms of focus and panning effect, whereas the one of the camel herder running is less compelling as there is some camera shake involved too. Whilst the red truck in the second shot of the camel make a much more dynamic picture, the people in the foreground left distract and the camel needs sharper focus. In the first camel picture the sense of motion is there, but now the background is wrong and perhaps the point of focus should have been more on the camel rider rather than the camel.

Ho hum! It’s all part of the learning experience.

The best outcome  though of this was that my confidence increased enormously.  If ever you needed proof that obsessing about technique does not lead to great photographs then my morning session doing panning is living proof! Whilst understanding the “science” or theory helped to ensure the “mystique” of great panning was removed, it reinforced the realization that to get really good at this was going to require practice. A lot of practice!

I spent the morning at Birquash Camel Market – the “new” home of Cairo’s famous camel Souk and about 15 kms north west of the city. Now you should take the word “new” here with a pinch of salt. It just means new location – not new as in “spanky brand new” or “never been used” or even “modern, clean and safe”!

I wanted to try and shoot a photo-story – Which I didn’t quite pull off, because despite getting up before dawn. It took us over 2 hours to drive the 15kms, as we drove from place to place searching for the market. Nothing is ever signed properly in Egypt and the locals’ directions were straight out of  Monty Python film. Draw up to a junction, ask the two men waiting by the side of the road which way, and you guessed it, one would point left and one would point right! So we missed the beginning and some of the more interesting action.

I did try some panning shots and some backlit shots, but none of these really worked out quite how I had planned! I clearly need a workshop with “Mr Panning” himself – Gavin Gough – to get that technique licked!

Biquash Camel Market  – or Souk el Gamaal in the native tongue – is an extraordinary place, and arguably not for the feint hearted or for animal lovers. Let’s just say that animal husbandry is an area that Egypt needs to focus on a little more. Every week thousands of camels trek up from the Sudan, Southern Egypt or nearby to be sold at auction. There is no one single auction place within the Souk, rather a long street with a series of Camel pens, with auctions happening simultaneously in the street in front of the pens.

They all have one leg tied up to stop them running around, and everyone – and I mean everyone from the 3 years old to the old man using it as crutch – has a wooden stick with which they beat the camel to make it turn, move or do as requested.

The conditions are biblical – but fascinating. Lots of dust to play havoc with your lenses, but also lots of amazing sights, sounds and opportunities.

Not all the camels make it through the day and so some inevitably have to be disposed off, which of course is done there and then in the full glare of anyone watching.

Like most events in Egypt, there are a lot of people sitting around, drinking tea or coffee and seemingly doing nothing. However they were all incredibly friendly and keen to have their photo taken – surprisingly I thought given the number of tourist and other photographers that must come to this weekly market. However this little community of traders, herders, drovers and farmers that assemble each week provide a fantastic blend of Egyptian street life and rural market, which makes it a place full of potentially compelling images.

I don’t know why, but I didn’t find the groove today. I love being out somewhere new and observing everything that is going on, so perhaps I was distracted by the fact that for me it was all so new, or maybe I expected too much and didn’t take my own medicine in my last post – “dashed expectations are seasonal” and just go with the flow. I tried to shoot an opening, some details, unusual angles, close-ups and a closing shot to try and frame the photo essay and, whilst they are a good record of the day, they don’t tell the full story. The full story – such that it is –  is over in the gallery.

But that is what practicing is about. Trying, learning from your mistakes and then trying again. I will certainly be back to the Birquash Camel Market another Friday morning, now that I know how to find it and what to expect.

You can see more of the images, including some fun portraits, over in the gallery.

Oh, and the short answer to “What price a camel”, is about 5000 Egyptian pounds or about US $1000!