Selected Topics in Near Threshold Pion Photoproduction and Compton Scattering off Nucleons

Some open topics in the field of low energy photon-nucleon interactions are discussed--which in my opinion are of interest both for obtaining new information on nucleon structure as well as for precision tests of our theoretical understanding of chiral dynamics. In particular, I discuss p-wave multipoles in charged pion photoproduction off protons as well as the role of spin-dependent effects in (unpolarized) Compton scattering off nucleons. There the concept of dynamical spin polarizabilities is found to be essential for the understanding of differential Compton cross sections above 120 MeV cms photon energy.