ICM has been my joy and passion for a few years now. I created the ICM Photography Magazine out of a deep desire to celebrate the art and the beauty of ICM, as well as to celebrate the photographers who have a unique vision and voice with the ICM work they do.
This is a recent favorite of mine. I feel it speaks to the creative vision I have for my own work, as well as to the connection my ICM work has to my spirituality.
"Zen is not concerned with the superficial. It leads you into the depth of your soul and shapes your view of the world from raw, honest places. [It] leads you to a photographic view of the world that is inspired directly from the silence and impartiality of your mind, leaving behind preconceived concepts of how the world should be." ~ Torsten Andreas Hoffmann, from Photography as Meditation
ICM photography for me is a meditative practice where I am able to free myself from automatic thought patterns and to see the natural world in a way that enables me to connect with it more deeply through essence.
This is a handheld, in-camera, single-exposure ICM, with minimal post-processing edits in Lightroom and spot removal in Photoshop.
Canon 5D Mark III, Canon f/4L 70-200mm Lens
ISO 100, 160mm, f/20, 1/2 second
3-stop ND Filter
Thanks for posting Stephanie, it's great to see you back on fstoppers (I know how busy you are otherwise....).
This is a departure from your more typical vibrant and colorful work, but still reflects your high standards of creativity and quality.
I really like this, I find it both calming and contemplative. Providing merely the essence of the scene in front of you the image asks questions of the viewer.
Members
For those newer to the group Stephanie is the founder of ICMphotmag(.com), a quality online magazine that brings the world of ICM photography to the forefront. I would recommend this to any member who wishes to be inspired or learn more about the world of ICM.
Stephanie also heads up the ICMphtomag group on fstoppers, a group solely dedicated to ICM and worth a visit if interested in that genre;
https://fstoppers.com/groups/251381/icmphotomag-icm-photography-magazine
Alan Brown Thanks so much, Alan, for your kind words about the image...as well as for the magazine and the ICMPhotoMag group here on Fstoppers. I appreciate your support and encouragement greatly!
Yes, this is a bit more subdued than my usual vibrant work...but the scene just drew me in and excited me with the results I was seeing on the back of the camera.
I've attached an image of what the scene looked like as a before shot...my focal length was such that I was only getting the confluence of the side of the cliff, the water, and a bit of sunlight reflecting on the water...and it just all came together to transform the scene in this way using ICM.
This really is one of the magical things about ICM...you can transform even a scene that might not otherwise be photogenic into something mystically unique. :)
This is great example of what can be achieved with the potent combination of vision and a solid ICM technique.
You have magically turned this lemon into a fine wine :-)
This is exactly what I love about ICM, Stephanie. When all is drab, and it's difficult finding something to photograph; ICM provides a way to keep clicking. I enjoyed seeing your photo and appreciated reading your post! Also loved seeing the original. Great work!
That's a great point Jennifer - the possibilities for ICM are endless, and it's always fun experimenting.
One thing to note is that this can be accomplished on just about any camera.
Jennifer Wise Thanks for your kind words and thoughts, Jennifer. I actually am primarily focused on ICM as a photographic form of expression...so it isn't something I turn to when all else fails or a way to find something else to photograph...it is the reason I go out to photograph. :) ICM allows me to express myself in ways more traditional forms of photography do not...and over the past few years it has become what I am primarily known for. There is so much joy to be found with ICM, and it feeds and fulfills my soul without the need to even think about shooting traditional landscapes. Most people turn to ICM as an afterthought...when there's nothing else to be found to photograph. I'm quite the opposite...I have to force myself to even think about shooting a traditional image...for the before/after reference...because I only shoot ICM...regardless of the scene, conditions, light, etc. It is something I've been trying to encourage and inspire more photographers to do more of...and not just think of it as a "when all else fails...try some ICM" sort of thing. But, I do realize shooting abstractly as a primary focus is not necessarily for everyone, though. Anyway, glad the image and my post resonated with you! Thanks for sharing your feedback.
Stephanie Johnson (StephJohnPhoto & ICMPhotoMag) , This work is by far one of the very good art frames have seen. its equally meditative to observe and feel your work. Kudos.