36 6 July 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
KIT LIST
▲ ▲Technique
within a few miles of
my Dorset home, makingit sustainable and with a
minimal carbon footprint. As a
trained ecologist and natural
historian, I like to be rooted
in the landscape around me,
watching seasons change and
recording species. ICM and
ME enable me to explore
the history of a place in my
work, and help me to convey
the ephemeral nature of
botanical subjects, and create
imagined landscapes blurring
the edges between subject
and environment.
Inspirations
The images I create with these
techniques are more about
form, texture, colour and
emotion than they are about
realism and representational
photography. Experimenting
with ICM is well suited to grey
days where you may fi nd little
else to capture, but some of
my favourite botanical images
have been created in full sun.
The subjects I am drawn to
are natural: trees, plants and
wildlife. I spend a lot of time by
the river photographing gulls
and also the water itself, which
lends itself beautifully to ICM.
By experimenting and drawing
with the highlights in a frame
and panning with a subject in
motion you can create some
amazing results.
There are many inspirational
photographers who use ICM
and ME in their work. Pep
Ventosa’s ‘In the rounds’ series
blends representational
photographs taken while
walking around a subject.
This produces an abstract and
impressionistic composite that
explores photography as more
than just a means to capture
a moment in time. Sandra
Bartocha’s nature photography
incorporates Pep Ventosa’s
technique, ICM and long
Camera
Any camera or smartphone
camera that will allow you to
control shutter speed will enable
you to shoot ICM photography.
The lighter weight of mirrorless
systems may be more
comfortable if you are out for
long periods taking handheld
ICM shots. I use a Sony Alpha 58.Lenses
Any lens can be used when
shooting ICM photography,
so choosing one with a
focal length appropriate
to the subject you wish
to photograph is the most
important factor. I have
a 300mm, 18mm and a
Tamron 90mm f/2.8.exposures, often using a
soft and subtle palette to
produce inspiring ethereal
abstract results.Technical aspects
ICM photography can be
created using any camera or
smartphone camera that will
allow you to control the shutter
speed so that the camera can
be moved during the exposure,
creating the blur eff ect. When
choosing your lens the most
important factor will be the
focal length, which will partly
be determined by the subject
you intend to capture. For
birds and wildlife I use a
300mm lens, so I don’t scare
the subject; for landscape,
an 18mm lens; and for mybotanical work, I generally use
my Tamron 90mm f/2.8. I tend
to shoot without ND fi lters;
however if you have these they
can be used to increase your
exposure time and potentially
soften blurs. I use a shutter
speed of around 1/10 to 1/3sec
to capture almost all my ICM
images, preferring relatively
quick movement of the camera.
Live view is useful to ascertain
how much light you are letting
into the camera, and I fi nd
stopping down the exposure
compensation and using a
higher F stop helps to reduce
the chance of overexposing. I
also set my ISO to 100 and on
occasion I will adjust the white
balance to enhance the tone or
mood of the scene.When moving the camera
during the shot, diff erent types
of motion will create diff erent
eff ects – vertical panning
works well with straight lines
such as trees, architecture,
people; horizontal for
seascapes and bands of colour.
I frequently use a shivering
motion or pause momentarily
on a point in the frame, to
cause it to ‘stick’ to perhaps
a fl ower or an interesting
texture, and then roll the
camera in a circular motion
forward. Be aware of any
highlights in your frame as
these will streak and draw
lines, so either avoid these
altogether or perhaps use it
to your creative advantage.
Textures in my images areThe Japanese tree looks beautiful in multiple layers and the yellow green tone of the background frames it perfectly