Chaostrain Loc: Hillsboro, Oregon

I do both run and gun and setting up. When I'm blowing down the freeway on a bridge I figure people would get real upset if I stopped in the middle and set up my tripod and camera so I just grab my camera, pointed it out the window, and hold the button down for a few shots. Or walking in the woods and a deer goes running by you can't expect it to stop and model for you while you set up and try to figure out the best lighting. Although this is the first I've the phrase run and gun. It's also the first time I've heard spray and pray.

PH CIB

Did it in Nam all the time....!!!

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

I've heard the term "run and gun" used in wedding photography where it refers to the fast pace the wedding photographer must maintain to get all of the shots on the shot list and do it in a timely manner. I am not a wedding photographer (only shot my sister-in-law's wedding), but the wedding photographers I've seen all work fast and work hard. run and gun is not necessarily a bad term when used by (or describing) a photographer who knows what they're doing.

rlscholl Loc: California

It goes back a lot farther than UNLV. I recall it being applied to Branch McCracken's (sp?) offense at Indiana University in the 1950s. I suspect that it was around earlier than that, but I wasn't.

repleo Loc: Boston

Thanks photoman. I think this is the nearest explanation for the context I heard it in. It seems to be one of those expressions that separate the 'cool' from the un-cool. If you have to ask, you are definitely not cool. I am definitely not cool, and I don't shoot at a fast pace. I rarely shoot anything moving faster than continental drift.

Thanks to all for your responses.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Pretty close! I am a long-time and old-time wedding shooter. The term goes back to the wedding photography trade back in New York City back in the day- the late 1940s through the early 1970s. In that era the equipment of choice was the 4x5 press cameras. At a fast paced assignment there was little time to focus with the rangefinder, compose in the optical viewfinder, flip the film holder, cock the shutter, set the f/stop and the shutter speed- ALL MANUAL operations. So..we were trained to anticipate the actions preset the focus on the scale with the understanding of depth of field, preset the exposure, use a Graphmatic film holder (6 shots) cock the shutter and SHOOT! Oftentimes we would use the "wire" sports finder, shoot with the camera held overhead or actually "shoot form the hip"! The rreal "normal" lens for the 4x5 format is form 150mm to 165mm and some prefer a 240mm. The PRESS cameras were equipped with a 127mm or 135mm lenses, slightly wider than normal for easier shooting in tight spots, more depth of field and more convenient working distances for formal shots. Photojournalistic wedding photography was not "invented" in the 80s and 90s- it's been around for a long time- it was just not as easy and convenient with a 10 pound hand held rig and a bulky power supply for the flash gear.

So. we gunned and ran for one scenario to another and always had to be in the right place at the right time and pre-set to shoot. As you alluded to, this was not sloppy shooting and required many skill sets such as estimating distanced, instantly calculating flash exposures. and split second attention to composition and camera orientation. Going form horizontal to vertical required strong wrists! We could gun and run but we could not "spray and pray" in that non of the gear was motor driven or electronic- all elbow grease!

By the way- the term "gun" came form "flash gun" when flash powder, similar to gun powder, was ignited by flint in a T-gun, way back when. I guess the word "shoot" came form Hollywood as in "shooting a film"- not sure?! Some folks think that using ballistics, incendiary and explosives technological and slang terms should not be applied to photography. Things like "shooting kids and brides" don't go over well- especially nowadays. Photographers that specialized in graduation pictures used to say they "shoot schools"- bad news- that! Nowadays they "shoot seniors"- does that mean they gun down old folks? Photographic slang is interesting- I remember when we used to "soup" film and "pull proofs"! Pleas excise my sick sens of humor- comes with age and being in the photography business for a very long stretch!

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Run-n-gun is fast paced event shooting ( photography) - closely related to "f8 and be there !" ....

The phrase originally coined as a basketball style of play....

..

PGHphoto Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Always considered run and gun to be an unplanned/unresearched shoot where you shoot what you find as opposed to planning a specific subject and taking exactly the equipment you will need. Even for a situation where you have a specific destination in mind, its run and gun if you have no idea what you will find and what locations you will have access to.

Going to Paris and planning to shoot the Eiffel Tower with specific angles and lighting in mind is organized/planned. Acting on the spur of the moment while walking to the Tower shooting the cafes along the Champs-Elysées would be a run and gun.

Side note - with all the violence we hear out of France, feels almost not right saying 'shooting' the cafes ...

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

In 1965, wedding photographer and well know teacher, Bill Stockwell called wedding photographers "brave gunners who go in to battle in the satin jungle and fight against the Polaroid Pied Pipers and the Instamatic Mad Men" referring to all the amateur photographers gettin in the way. Bill advocated a rapid and impromptu meth of capturing authentic and emotional spontaneous action. He was on of the first, in the wedding industry, to put aside large and medium format gear and go to 35mm. He was very poetic but I don't remember him saying "gun and run". He used terms like "impact closeups" and emotional commotion"!

Among professionals and experienced workers, there is little totally impromptu shooting. Most of us, at least have a vague idea of what's gonna happen are somewhat prepared for unplanned or emerging shots. Of course, nowadays with completely programmable cameras, it is much easier to just grab the camera and grab a shot what with auto focus and exposure that will at the very least, enable acceptable results and marginal results can be easy corrected in post processing. In the olden days, a seriously bad exposure or a sleight focus error was the end of the line and you didn't find out how bad things were until the lab work was completed.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Usually spray and pray, but while following someone or some action.

BlueMorel Loc: Southwest Michigan

Nifty Fifty was my first non-kit lens I bought and I learned to "love" it over the next few months when it was my go-to lens. And I love the nickname. Now if only I had a nicknames for my latest 55-250 lens while I get used to it, or my new tripod, or new filter...

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

Thanks for this post - there are times I fit in this category but not as described here - this was just a reminder of lessons learned while shooting with my first camera group many years ago.
Currently I do quite a bit of "run and shoot" while trying to get decent wildlife images of the many types that frequent the open space between my house and the forest that our community is in. Just minutes ago my daughter told me there were 4 wild turkeys out there and I ran to get a camera - Canon XTi with 100-300 set on auto and did my best to hand hold it for a few shots before they slipped into the forest , my T3i and 18-200 with IS is loaned to friend doing "Storm Chasing" - darn few opportunities to capture the turkeys compared to the deer, gray squirrels, wild pigeons, doves and many other birds that frequent my area.

Harvey in the Sierras

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

This is the only way I have any luck at Air Shows
Harvey

Diocletian

That continental drift is a killer. I just can't set up my tripod that fast, dang it!

gessman Loc: Colorado

I see the term used often regarding shooting video of a moving subject while the shooter is moving in sync with the subject.