What is ICM Photography | How to Make Abstract Images Using ICM
Show Notes
ICM is a really fun technique to use if you want to create some more abstract landscape photography images. The focus of ICM photography is the colours and patterns of the environment. Instead of focusing on finding a composition and getting the settings exactly right, ICM photography allows us to loosen up, forget the technical stuff and just take interesting photos.
ICM is an acronym for Intentional Camera Movement and involves us moving the camera as we create an image to make an abstract ‘painting’ of the landscape rather than a particular emphasis on a subject.
I principally use ICM in three different environments: the forest, the seaside and the mountains. But those are my three favourite environments for all landscape photography. Plenty of example images of ICM photography in this video, I also go through how I create ICM images including the different motions that I do to create my different images.
Through my channel I hope to see myself, my style and my creative voice developing in my videos and in my photography. I hope you will join me on this journey by subscribing to my channel.
I’m including the original script that I wrote below, when recording I go off script and let myself go down several rabbit holes of thought, so it’s interesting to see how they differ.
Onto The Images
Forest ICM
The forest is one of my absolute favourite places to take ICM images. Forests are notoriously fickle subjects for landscape photographers, they are often cluttered and overgrown and there is so much going on that in can be difficult to find a particular composition that allows for the viewer to focus on a subject.
That’s why most landscape photographers only photograph forests in the fog. The fog helps to reduce the chaos of the overgrown, natural forest and allows for single compositions and subjects to stand out. But fog is quite hard to predict and it doesn’t happen everyday, so what do you do when the weather is just not playing ball?
This is when I like to use some ICM. By using the abstract qualities of ICM we can create images that show off the colours and patterns of the forest without having to worry about the particular composition. Instead of focusing on single trees we can examine the forest as an entity in itself and use that to create a compelling image.
Seaside ICM
My next favourite environment to take ICM abstract images after the forest is definitely the seaside. Coastal photography is one of my favourite things, standing on the beach, feeling the wind and listening to the sounds of the waves crashing is such a relaxing day that I will often spend the whole day just walking along the coast looking for images.
The hardest part with costal photography is finding interesting and/or compelling subjects to place in the frame with the sea. These are not as common as you might think, and I have spent hours walking without getting any images because I just couldn’t find something to include in the frame.
With ICM it’s another option to capture an abstract sense of the place without worrying about any particular subject. We are looking at the varying tones and colours of the sea and sky. Subjects are not necessary to create a compelling image. In fact, ICM creates a sense of tempest or storm and it taps into the elemental nature of the sea.
Mountain ICM
I’ve only really had one successful mountain ICM shoot, usually I’ve climbed all that way for a different and classical landscape image. To hike up steep terrain just to take ICM images might be pushing it but on that shoot the light was not developing the way that I wanted it to, so by utilising ICM photography, I came away with hundreds of images that coalesced into its own series.
I was using ICM again to capture a sense of the place, the different colours of the landscape and the shapes created with the movement of the camera created some very compelling images. It’s definitely something that I will work on some more in the future and I think it would be a great piece to add to my collection of abstract imagery.
The Original Script
Let’s talk about the long awaited ICM, I mentioned quite a few videos ago that I would try and create a video dedicated to the subject of ICM. This camera technique has been featured in several of my videos and I think it’s a great technique to have in your mind when you are out doing photography. It’s not a difficult technique to try and master but when you are giving it a go, you will soon realise that it’s very subjective and you will find sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t and that sometimes you’ve got to do it several times before you get one looking the way you want it to.
So what is ICM, ICM is an acronym and it stands for Intentional Camera Movement. Normally as photographers we are trying to eliminate the possibility of movement to our cameras because that will render the image out of focus or blurred. We want our images to pin sharp, rendering every detail in the frame perfectly in focus. ICM on the other hand flips that on its head. We are purposefully introducing movement into the exposure to create an abstract image.
(PLACE THE COLOURFUL ICM IMAGE OVER THE NEXT SENTENCE)
The first time I learnt this technique was many years ago, my friend showed it to me in Abernethy woodland after a sunrise shoot on Loch Garten. I really like the resulting image and since then I’ve used the method a lot.
Personally I like ICM because it frees us up from being too technical, too rigid in our photography. We are free to create something a bit different that doesn’t focus on the typical compositional technique. Because the image is abstract we are also free to push the edit a lot further and bring out the best colours without worrying whether it is too much because it no longer looks real. We are not creating something that is real, we are creating something abstract.
I use ICM when I’m struggling to see a composition or when the conditions are not perfect. If there isn’t a subject to the image then I will often consider creating something different. I also use ICM as a bit of a distraction, just having fun, loosening up, and getting creative. The best thing about it is that you can do ICM anywhere with any subject and sometimes you will create something that you didn’t know was possible.
I’ll just explain the way that I do ICM before we got on to some examples in different places.
Typically to create an image we are using an exposure triangle to create the perfect image. In landscape photography this means that we keep our ISO low, for example 100, we tend to have a closed aperture of F11 to F16 depending on the lens, to create enough depth of field to get the majority of the landscape in focus, and once those are dialled in, the camera will tell us the shutter speed to get a perfect exposure. That’s the method normally.
With ICM I tend to change it up a bit. I keep my ISO 100 because we want that shutter speed to be long. I then will set the shutter anywhere from 1/15 of a second to 1 second. If it’s longer than that then it will get too blurry, and I typically prefer for there to be a bit of definition retained in the image to give you a sense of place. If you are exposing for 5 seconds and moving the camera for all 5 seconds then you can create a collage of colour but it will be difficult to preserve a sense of the landscape. Although there are no wrong images from ICM, and ultimately that choice is up to you. That leaves aperture to adjust. The great thing is that aperture will not affect the image, there is no depth of field to try and preserve. So I adjust that based on the light of the image and the other settings I’ve already dialled in. I’ve shot ICM wide at f5.6 when it’s quite dark in the forest and I’ve also had to go to my maximum aperture of f22 before to get the effect that I want.
Once the settings are dialled in, you just start taking pictures and looking at the results. Each and every image will be different, even if you are pointing at the same place and moving in the same way, because it is almost impossible for us to move the camera in the exact same way twice. The other tip I have is to change your shooting mode to single shot, normally when shooting landscapes I use a 2 second timer to reduce shake from touching the camera, but in this case having the shutter fire immediately helps us to time our movement with the camera to produce a particular effect. I would also recommend starting to move before you press the shutter, that way you’ve got the motion ready.
Let’s have a look at some examples…
If you’ve been watching this channel then you know that I like to use ICM in the woodlands, for example:
CLIPS FROM ICM IN THE WOODS
EXAMPLE IMAGE OVER THIS SPEECH
I often like to use ICM in the woodlands because there is a great repeating pattern of trees. We all know that the best woodland photography occurs when there is fog. The fog helps to reduce the cluttered background of the woodland, isolating particular patterns or trees for us to create a more compelling image than if the woodland was in harsh bright sunlight.
With ICM we can create an interesting woodland image no matter the time of day or the weather conditions. I’ve taken images in the middle of the day with a blue sky, the most horrible conditions for a landscape photographer, and I’ve come away with images that I like.
As we are catching colour and patterns in the woodland you can also create images at different times of year, the variances in colours and light mean that there is a wealth of images to be had throughout the year.
TO CAMERA WITH EXAMPLE MOTION : As you can see I typically like to limit the movement of the camera to a vertical motion when taking the image.
I’ve found that when moving the camera in ICM the best method is to replicate the pattern of the subject of image, although I advise you to experiment with that. So because trees grow upwards, then a vertical movement is the best way to capture a sense of the forest. I’ve tried experimenting with turning the camera in a circle and that has produced some interesting effects, like the following.
But the thing that I want to drive home is that there is no right or wrong answer with ICM, it is one of the closest ways we can come to modernist painting in photography. Be experimental and try new things.
TO CAMERA
Those example images are just a few of the ones that I’ve managed to take in the woodland environment. My second favourite place to take ICM images is at the seaside.
EXAMPLE IMAGES
I think the seaside makes a great subject for ICM images because there is often nothing but the sea and the sky. A very minimal landscape. That limits the compositions to be had, we need to find some supporting elements to create a decent landscape photo.
But if it’s difficult to find other elements to include in the image, the next best thing is try for some really minimalist images. Using that negative space and lack of defining subject to create images that are intentionally void of a subject.
One method for this is to create a long exposure, like I did during a sunset shoot at Spey Bay, I’ll pop a card in up top and it will be in my end screen if you fancy watching that one. Long exposures like that allow the landscape to move through the image, smoothing out the movement of the water and the clouds through the frame.
The other method is to use ICM where we introduce that movement. And just like in the woodland I’ve used this method at different times of day but of course sunset and sunrise are the perfect opportunities to really get vibrant colours in a dynamic picture. Otherwise I think that cloudy days would work better than blue skies on the coast. Simply to give some varying tones to the sky.
Don’t be afraid to include some of the other parts of the landscape as well because they can add another dimension to the image such as this image that I captured in Penan.
IMAGE FROM PENAN OF GREEN/RED ICM
TO CAMERA WITH EXAMPLE MOTION : I tend to limit the movement at the coast to horizontal panning, following the line of the horizon. If you move upwards there won’t be any sky in the image, but I would be interested in the results if you give it a go…
The other landscape where I’ve had a good success of ICM images was in the mountains. I’ve only really had one shoot in the mountains but I got a lot images and it was a great evening, you can check out that video via the card up top. Let’s have a look at the images.
EXAMPLE IMAGES
On that day I went up to the mountains to try for a panorama of the Cairngorm range with a beautiful golden light that didn’t happen. Instead I got caught up running around getting ICM images. I had a lot of fun exploring the possibilities and compositions available.
What really made that day was the sunset, it was partially blocked by the clouds, so the light wasn’t strong enough to light my composition but it produced a great orange in the sky. I was also experimenting with heavily underexposing the images, making them darker and punchier and it really brought out the various colours of the landscape.
In a 100 meter stretch I was able to create a whole cornucopia of images. I was looking principally at the colours of the landscape. I was not looking for shapes, I was trying to look in an abstract way, trying to interpret how those colours and features of the landscape would turn out when I made the image.
By trying to think how I wanted the images to look, I was able to create different images in a very short time period. Quickly darting around capturing different images. It was a lot of fun.
I actually used some filters to help slow my exposure and I even had on some graduated filters to bring more balance to the sky. The great thing about ICM is you can be very free with it and experimental.
I was moving in a horizontal panning motion, like at the seaside, for most of the images. But I also tried a different motion.
TO CAMERA WITH EXAMPLE MOTION: I also tried a sort of jiggling motion, moving the camera like so… as I was taking the image. The results were quite interesting:
EXAMPLE OF JIGGLY IMAGE IN THE MOUNTAINS : I like how it creates an illusion of more mountains in the landscape than what was actually there.
TO CAMERA
That’s it for the time being. I haven’t yet taken any ICM images in the city but I think it’s certainly on my list of things to try. I’ve seen some good examples of ICM images in the city on instagram and twitter.
Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions. If I haven’t quite explained it well enough or you are confused about something then let me know and I will do my best to explain it a bit better.
I think ICM is a fun thing to do and you should just give it a go. Experiment with the camera and when your exposure is a bit slow, take the camera off of your tripod and try moving it to see how the image turns out. You might be surprised with the results!
The next step after taking the images in the field is the edit. Typically when I’m editing images I try and keep it quite natural looking. I don’t like to boost the saturation or contrast or luminance too far because it starts to look a bit digital and unreal. The great thing about ICM is that you can be a lot bolder with the editing. You are creating an abstract image, almost a painting, so feel free to really push those sliders in Lightroom. You can do whatever is necessary to produce the result that you want.
There are no rules in ICM other than to move your camera. I hope you are inspired to give it a go and just have some fun!
Thanks for watching and I’ll see you on the next one…
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About the Film
Just a little information about the film and how I made it, as well as some links to equipment.
I edited the film using the Free Version of DaVinci Resolve. It’s an incredibly powerful piece of software that I am still trying to understand and will possibly write an article about in the future.
No music in today’s film but usually I license music via a subscription with Epidemic Sound. (By following that link, if you purchase a subscription then I will be gifted with a month free for referring you to their services)
A short Kit List
These are affiliate links, which means if you follow them and make a purchase I will earn a small commission for referring you to Amazon UK. You can find out more about affiliate links here.
Main Vlog Camera is a simple Panasonic G80 with the kit lens, its a great little mirrorless camera that I got for the sole purpose of creating YouTube videos. It’s capable of filming in 4k and seems to do everything that I want it to.
Rode Mic, I got this little microphone to boost the audio quality from the inbuilt microphone.
Action Camera, I use this to film myself when walking. It’s a simple DJI Pocket Osmo camera that has a motorised 3 axis gimbal head, which means that I stay in focus and static while the landscape around me moves. It’s also capable of filming in 4k and the audio quality is quite good.
Voice Recorder, to boost the audio quality when it’s windy or I’m using the action camera I use this handy little voice recorder with a lapellier microphone to record audio.
For a complete Kit List you can read through what equipment I take with me when I go out here.
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Written by Daniel Long
Daniel Long created DRL Photography as a place to showcase his work as a photographer. Daniel has learnt a lot about photography and wishes to impart this knowledge with you, although the world is an ever changing place and he always says “you can never learn everything.” So as he makes his way, he continues to learn knew techniques, skills and information about photography. He focuses on Landscape and Wildlife photography and Daniel has a special focus on Scotland, his home away from home. As well as writing about photography and taking pictures out in the field, Daniel offers guided photography days so he can share his knowledge and locations in an effort to give his clients the best opportunities possible. Have a browse around this website to see his images, guided experiences and articles about photography. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in contact.