{"id":45189,"date":"2026-10-04T07:37:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T11:37:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/?p=45189"},"modified":"2026-10-04T07:37:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T11:37:14","slug":"mastering-the-night-pan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/mastering-the-night-pan\/","title":{"rendered":"Mastering the Night Pan."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mastering the Night Pan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a follow-up to yesterday’s Tracking the Light post, \u201cPerfecting the Art of the Pan,\u201d I am continuing the theme by detailing my night-panning technique as a means of making effective railroad action photos at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many modern digital cameras, with their exceptionally sensitive image-capturing capabilities, now make it possible to expose photos of moving trains in extremely low-light situations. However, even with these tools, I’m still faced with using slower shutter speeds than would be needed to \u201cfreeze\u201d a moving train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My solution has been to combine a very high ISO with an extremely fast lens, using a very wide aperture in the f\/1.4 range, and employ my panning technique. After exposure, I process my RAW files using sophisticated software, specifically DxO PureRAW, to minimize the effects of high-ISO pixelization, correct lens imperfections, and boost contrast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider this sequence of Norfolk Southern symbol freight 36A rolling through Washington Boro, Pennsylvania, at about 35 mph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I worked with my Nikon Z6-III in \u201cA\u201d (aperture-priority) mode, which allows me to set the lens to a wide setting, f\/1.6, while letting the camera select the appropriate corresponding shutter speed for the lighting conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is beneficial because I don’t need to try to adjust the lens setting as I’m panning or anticipate the most effective exposure combination in advance. Instead, I can concentrate on making a smooth and uninterrupted pan and releasing the shutter at key moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
ISO 32000, f1.6, 1\/13 second, aperture priority, ‘pattern’ metering mode.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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ISO 32000, f1.6, 1\/13 second, aperture priority, ‘pattern’ metering mode.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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ISO 32000, f1.6, 1\/13 second, aperture priority, ‘pattern’ metering mode.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A couple of other tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. I turn off the image stabilization features.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. I begin panning long before the train reaches my desired locations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. I handle the camera gently to avoid unnecessary jarring motion.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Pan practice helps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    See:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    Perfecting the Art of the Pan<\/a><\/blockquote>