I've tried a bunch of times to get one of these Tree ICM shots that I'm happy with. I feel like this one maybe close. I wish there was a touch more texture. Does anyone have any tips for focal length, shutter speed and how fast you move the camera? I have tried all sorts of combos with various results. Any tips/tricks would be appreciated. Also would love to know how this image stands up? You can even use the 5 star scale. I kind of lean towards a 3 my self. But after I look at it long enough I may change my mind to a 2. I see some of these online and from other photographers that I love but have struggled to get my own that I love.
I like the moodiness, and I don't know that more detail would improve it. The central trees with the bright sliver between make me wonder, "What lies beyond?" And good images make one wonder, don't they?
Thanks Gil
Thank you for posting, Kyle! It's very nice to see you branching out and trying ICM. I will be using a few of my own to illustrate my comments here. I tend to go for a more simplistic composition in my tree ICM work. I find yours to be a tad bit on the busy side of things for my taste, but that is alright!
I agree with Gil about the detail, as I think it has a good bit of texture to it already, but if you are interested in preserving extra detail, do a longer exposure with a slower pan. My first provided image has an exposure of 1/10 of a second and a "fast" pan. The second has an exposure of 1/3 of a second and a "slow" pan. The faster your pan is, regardless of how long the image is exposed, the smoother the blur will be. A slower pan preserves more detail but should generally need a longer exposure to get streaks of the desired length.
Another point I want to make is about the editing of the images. The second and third pictures that I provided are both edits of the same raw file. Cropping, exposure, white balance, and more can have a major impact on how the final image is perceived.
Thanks for the feedback! This is all very helpful. Your 2nd and 3rd photos are more of the result I'm trying to achieve. I agree about mine being a little busy as well. It was hard to avoid that in this location though as it's mostly small skinny trees with a lot of branches and things going on. Thanks again.
Location is a big factor in the success of a photo like this.
Yours are very appealing, Matthew!
Thanks, Chris!
I think it's great as is, Kyle.. I agree with Gil about its mood, which is actually hard to characterise - and so much the better for that. The warm tones certainly make it positive rather than, say, eerie or forbidding. I too don't think more texture would improve it for me, but I often like very simple images. The combination of those sinuous curves at left and the streaking adds plenty of interest in a composition with a nice balance and a sense of space. For that matter I agree with Gil, point for point!
No tips on technique from me, as I'm not actually a fan of the genre - but I know what I like, and I like this!
Thanks Chris!
Hi Kyle, thanks for posting. I actually like this image - the bold trunks draw you into the image and beyond, with the picture otherwise providing a sense of mystery.
The key ingredient to ICM is the subject - what I believe you are after calls for trees that follow a similar angle. That allows for a pan to produce a more uniform and 'detailed' effect. As you mentioned Matthew's images, you will see the trees are all pretty much upright and has followed that line more or less with his movement.
There are no set 'rules' to ICM. Basically the effect is a combination of camera movement and shutter speed - the slower the shutter speed/faster the motion the greater the effect (the direction of pan matters also but that is beyond this discussion).
You can use Photoshop to get a sense of how simple motion ICM affects a scene. This is discussed in an article on my website where I compare actual ICM pans to a PS simulated pan against the same non-ICM subject.
The results seen are markedly similar, so using this tool can be an excellent way to get an understanding before actually attempting in the field.
Here's the link if interested - https://www.alanbrownphotography.com/understanding-icm-movement-motion-b...
Otherwise ICM is ALL about trial and (lots of) error in order to find what works for you.
As ICM can be a complex subject and something I have been exploring this for some time I'd be willing to get on a call/Zoom with you/others who may be interested . If so, send me a DM and we can arrange something that works for both of us.
Otherwise there are quite a lot of YouTube videos on ICM you could check out.
Thanks for all of the info Alan. I think my main issue with the photo is, like Matthew said, it's just a little busy. But it's hard to avoid in the woods near me. But all of you guys seem to like it so that's good enough for me!
I think I can also be a little too hard on my photos sometime. Striving for perfection! And you aren't kidding about "lots of error" haha. I have thousands of "errors"! Thank goodness for digital right!
One of these days I'm going to get out and try those "impressionist" photos you do. I don't know what to call them. They look great though. I've been to your website several times to read about it just haven't had a chance to give it a try yet. Thanks again for all of the comments everyone!
Sounds good - if you need help/want to discuss I am more than willing to jump on with you.
As an FYI - direction of pan matters also. In you + Matthew's examples it looks like to panned in a downward motion, thus dragging the grass etc into the image.
Try both directions and check the effect at areas of contrast.