#ppaann

cta pan // chicago | 2015

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPppaann

Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags chosen by Instagram’s Community Team. For a chance to be featured on the Instagram blog, follow @instagram and look for a post announcing the weekend’s project every Friday.

This weekend's hashtag project takes its inspiration from the #ppaann hashtag that started on the streets of New York. According to Brooklyn Instagrammer Matthew Ferri (@matthewferri), the hashtag's creator, “I've always been drawn to visuals that evoke a rush of energy and emotion. When I was learning photography, I used to see a lot of panning shots around the internet and always wondered how they were achieved.”

With that in mind, the goal this weekend is to capture creative photos that employ a panning technique to convey motion. Here are some of Matthew's tips to get you started:

“For starters, you're going to want to find a subject that is moving fast (a car, bike, skier/snowboarder, runner, etc). Check your surroundings—what would make for a good background? Try to find some lights or variations in colors, as they'll end up being blurred, creating an abstract backdrop.”

“Using the native camera app, you'll want to follow your subject as they pass you. If you're standing on a street corner and a car is approaching you, aim the camera at the car and follow it while pressing the shutter button. Don't stop following the subject until a second or two after you've pressed it.”

“Don't be afraid of failure. Pans may take a lot of of attempts to get right (I've taken hundreds, if not thousands), so keep at it and have fun!”