11:eleven Photography

While I have done a couple shots over the years of zooming in or out while shooting at a slower shutter speed just for giggles, our local camera club recently had a presentation on ICM that was quite interesting. ICM is interesting to me, while there is definitely a technique, more than a few actually, it also has a feel of randomness to it in my opinion. Especially if you are like me and are doing it strictly handheld. I appreciate the fact that I can attempt the same shot 15 times and get 15 different results due to my movements not being precise every time. Freestyle.

But lets take a look at a couple of the techniques, we’ll just hit a few of the more popular.

The Horizontal Pan: Move the camera horizontally in a smooth and steady motion while taking a long exposure of a scene with lights. This can create a sense of motion and streaks of light. Can be done handheld, but probably on a tripod for the smoothest results

Vertical Swipe: For this technique, move the camera vertically while capturing a subject with strong vertical lines, such as trees. The result is often a blurred and abstract representation of the subject.

Circles and Spirals: Rotate the camera in a circular or spiral motion during a long exposure. This can produce dreamy, ethereal effects with a central point of focus.

Zoom Blur: Zoom the camera’s lens in or out during the exposure. This technique can create a dynamic sense of depth and movement in your photos.

Ultimately, the world is your oyster, the possibilities are endless, and you can get as creative as you want. It’s art, and really it’s about creating something that is appealing to you, and matches your vision. I don’t think there are any real rules in ICM, and besides you know how I feel about rules anyways.

One of the things I like best about ICM is it gives the artist a couple of extra tools to incorporate into their tool kit. You can use it to compensate for a scene that lacks an interesting subject, or you can use it to gain a new perspective on a scene that maybe you and every photographer for 20 miles has shot 50 times each. Great opportunity for a double exposure? A fine blend of the actual scene and the abstract version? Go. Create. Have fun. Make art. Be happy.