Intentional Camera Movement (or ICM for short) is the act of deliberately moving your camera during a slow shutter speed to capture movement and blur. This movement basically becomes the subject of the image, as much as – or even more than – the scene itself. Landscape photographers tend to prioritise sharpness, with perfect focus and depth of field. This technique allows you to break off the shackles of perfection – as the blurrier, the better (almost)!

When to use Intentional Camera Movement

The forest is a classic scene for this type of photography. The vertical lines of the trees look great with a short, sharp shift of the camera up and down.

Also, the light in the forest is highly variable which can create great opportunities. Bright sunshine in the forest usually makes a nice exposure quite tricky, but using the highlights as light sources for movement is a great option.

What sort of shutter speed and camera settings are appropriate?

There isn’t really a right or wrong here, and experimenting is key. As a starting point, between 1/10th to 1/2 a second will certainly allow you to capture movement. The exact shutter speed varying on how light or dark the scene is in front of you, and how much movement you would like to capture in those conditions. Switch to shutter priority, and auto ISO for the best results.

It doesn’t just work in the wilds of Tasmania either – earlier this year in Tokyo we gave it a go on the streets of Shibuya. This time panning as we attempted to capture stillness within the movement.

Have you ever experimented with intentional camera movement? Why not give it a go next time you are out and about 🙂