03-24-10 – Pan Fried

I hope the idea of doing a blurred photo theme was serious. My first choice for my entry was one of my grandsons playing basketball where only his hand was in focus and the rest is like a deep toned water color. I held off because it would be great in a blurred theme. Just think of all the entries we could used from the failed panned shots!

What are thoughts on U-man’s airport shot and my street shot as qualifying? I tend toward U-man’s definition, but then I’m biased? I’ll be working for the next few hours but will check back here during break; disenvotify if that’s the concensus (sheds a tear if so).

I think they are fine. I guess I get the nit-picking, but they come up with the right result and they fit the verbiage of the contest description. They are also good, clear shots, which can’t be said for all of the entries.

Hmmph, sounds like my walk to the Subway stop! I often get a queasy feeling in some neighborhoods, and find myself tucking my camera inside a coat. At least the local thugs all think I am a cop so the leave me alone.

Only the gang-bangers caused me any hint of worry. I found myself sizing them up to see if I could take them on and giving up that idea almost before it was formed. 😆 I probably could have defending myself — and more importantly my camera (wait, what are my priorities?!) — against one of them, but three?! lol But I was in a really visible place with a witness right there (literally on the bench with me, though he was sitting like a normal human being). He’d have been useless in a fight, even more so than me, but that type of criminal really is cowardly in a lot of ways. Just not so cowardly that they’d be afraid of me. (still laughing here)

Does the photo need to be obviously blurry? I have photos of birds flying past me, but most aren’t blurry because I got a high shutter speed. As long as I was indeed panning, is it okay to use?

Should be fine. If you’re panning, your background is typically blurred, though, even on fast shutter speed.

a lot of that depends on how deep the background is and your lens length and depth of field. on my scoters taking off from the water, I was using a 400mm lens and the water behind was really close, because I was at an elevated position to take the shot. so just like I wouldn’t get much bokeh on a still shot like that, I didn’t get much blur in the water with a panned shot.

Love the amusement park shot, SilverStag!

One of my entries (under the handle No Catchy Nickname) seems to have gone for a Burton. Can you lovely Mods fix it, please?