Woodward Cruisin'

Mustangs, old and new, on the move down Woodward.
"Officially", the Woodward Dream Cruise takes place each year on the third Saturday of August. For car owners and car fans, unofficial dream cruising begins with the warm weather of late spring. Things really heat up in the week prior to the official cruise date with classic cars speeding (up to the posted limit of course) up and down Woodward with impromptu car shows held in parking lots large and small along the M-1 route. With the abundance of good old American iron on display, I take the opportunity to record favorite vehicles photographically as reference for my digital car illustrations (the link to my on-line gallery is at the top of the page). Earlier in the week I headed down to Woodward for a pre-Cruise evening to take a series of panning shots of the moving vehicles. A slow shutter speed(typically around 1/30) is the main requirement for panning shots. You need to follow the moving subject with your camera in a smooth motion, hitting the shutter release (hopefully) at the exact moment the car is centered in your frame. This is one of those photographic techniques that requires a lot of attempts to make a few good shots. When it is successful, panning conveys a feeling of movement. And when the subject is cars, you want to see them on the move!