The genre of
Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) is not to everyone's taste, but the ICM
images of Chris Friel and Valda Bailey are some of the most
exciting photographic images that I have seen.
Over the last couple
of years I have spent a few days exploring some of the possibilities of ICM.
Despite the perception by some that ICM is "just waving the camera
around" it really isn't that easy.
Classic starting
points for ICM include groups of trees (slow vertical pans) and beaches (slow
horizontal pans). It is relatively easy to get some pleasing images with these
well-worn subjects, but my efforts with fully hand-held ICM (no tripod) have
achieved a poor success rate. I have fired the shutter several hundred times in
front of birch trees and now have three of four images that might be considered
OK.
The nature of ICM
means you do not have full control over the end image. There is inevitably a
large element of chance in the end result. Control over the images is achieved
mainly through the choice of appropriate shutter speeds, and appropriate camera
movements while the shutter is open. Depending on the circumstances, shutter
speeds between say 0.5s and 10 seconds might give optimum results. Post
processing is also important, but this does not have to be complicated. Post
processing can often be limited to careful cropping, and adjustments to white
balance, contrast and clarity.
A few months ago I
took some ICM images at Aberdeen railway station. I revisited the railway
station a few days ago. Here are some of the results.
