all images copyright © mike kaplan 2016
WIKI: “In intentional camera movement (ICM), a camera is moved during the exposure for a creative or artistic effect.”
About two years ago, a good friend of mine introduced me to Intentional Camera Movement. Coming from an
art/design background, I was intrigued by the ability to be able to create painterly, ethereal seascape images. At art
college in London during the late 70’s, I visited numerous art galleries and exhibitions and was enthralled by the works of
JM William Turner - his ability to capture the vibrance and “movement” of light.
Intentional Camera Movement reveals a normally unseen world of light, forms and colour and unlimited creative
possibilities. This technique has encouraged me to create absorbing, moody images capturing the fleeting image of water
and light in motion.
The basic execution of ICM is to use a slow shutter speed to introduce blur into the image. You intentionally move the
camera during the exposure so that the scene is rendered as a varying degree of blur. The degree of blur is influenced by
the shutter speed and the amount of camera movement - laterally, vertically or randomly as I often do - this method can
produce some wonderful (though unrepeatable!) images.
Like all techniques, practice, combined with experimentation, leads to more predictable results and more control can
be achieved over the final image.
intentional camera movement (ICM)
“It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera, they are made with the eye, heart & head.”
- Henri Cartier-Bresson
seascape art by mike kaplan
please contact me should you wish to buy any of my landscape art