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Text and images Kaisa Sirén/ICM Photo Academy
ICM (Intentional Camera Movement) is a photography technique that creates images resembling paintings, often reflecting watercolour or impressionist styles. It requires patience, repetition, and embraces an element of surprise, making each frame unique.
By controlling camera movement, you can produce artistic images. Here are tips from ICM expert Kaisa Sirén to help you get started.
As a photographic artist, I use ICM to express my emotions through the northern landscapes of Finland, focusing on Lapland's seasons and nature's sensitivity. ICM reveals unseen feelings and brings unexpected elements into each frame, fulfilling my artistic goal to visualize the unseen.
ICM is not random but involves controlled movements influenced by light, camera motion, speed, and shutter settings, all contributing to surprising outcomes.
These two images are taken from exactly the same spotand demonstrate how a vertical and a horizontal movement create a totally different effect and either make subject appear stronger or disappear.
Vertical movement suits very well e.g. when photographing trees or other verticaly orientated objects.
Once you have more experience with ICM, you will choose the settings that you know will give you what you want. However, if you are just starting to experiment with ICM, you can choose these initial settingsas a guide:
Each movement produces distinct results, illustrated by accompanying images for clarity:
Wavy movements appear exactly the opposite to how it is done. In this image the camera has been moved along a U-shape.
Diagonal movement with a small twist upwards has created a ghost like effect to the mountain.
Twisting the camera around its axis can create a very fast impression.
Quick shudders give an impressionistic feel.
Zooming during exposure adds another dimension. The effect is different if zoomed from the long to the short end or vice versa. In this image, I have zoomed from short to long end.
Camera movement during exposure offers endless possibilities, especially with long shutter speeds that allow combining multiple motions. While each photographer’s style is unique, beginners should start with one subject and shutter speed, exploring movements like horizontal, vertical, diagonal, wavy, twisting, zooming, or even holding the camera steady initially before moving it. Once comfortable, experiment with varying shutter speeds for more creative results.
I once used a 4-second exposure, holding the camera still for half the time before adding a horizontal wavy movement to the left, showing how timing and motion shape the final image.
Any subject can work for ICM photography, but in my experience, two key elements make the best images: contrast and geometry. Strong contrasts—both in color and light—add depth and prevent a dull or chaotic result. Without color contrast, the image may feel muddled, while a lack of light contrast can make it flat.
Geometric shapes and lines help structure the image and guide camera movement. I prefer minimalistic subjects with few colors and clear lines, as motion naturally adds a sense of chaos.
ICM blends colors, much like a painting. For example, shooting red and yellow areas together may create orange tones. Dark and light areas mix, softening contrast—if contrast is weak to begin with, the final image may lack depth.
To enhance existing lines, move the camera along their direction. To soften them, move against them. In a forest, a vertical movement emphasizes tree trunks, while a horizontal one blends them into the background.
Even though ICM images are intentionally blurred, I always focus before shooting. A sharp element or outline can add structure to the composition. However, the effect of focusing depends on shutter speed and movement.
With a fast movement and a 1-second exposure, focusing may have little impact as everything blends together. But with a longer shutter speed, like 4 seconds, you can first hold the camera steady before moving it, allowing sharp details to emerge within the blur, creating a dynamic yet defined result.
These two images display the difference of a non-focused and a focused subject.
I create all my ICM photos as single exposures in-camera, always eager to see the unexpected results. While I start with a vision, the final images often surprise me.
My post-processing is minimal—I first adjust aperture, then contrast, keeping in mind that increasing contrast also boosts saturation, which I check next. I rarely crop but often straighten the horizon. Most of my editing time goes into removing sensor dust, which becomes visible due to the small apertures used in ICM. Keeping the sensor clean and using ND filters to allow larger apertures can help manage this issue.
Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) photography has surged in popularity but dates back to the film era. In the 1950s, Ernst Haas pioneered the technique, using slow shutter speeds and motion to create painterly images.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Canadians Courtney Milne and Freeman Patterson expanded its use, while Finnish photographer Hannu Hautala’s 1995 book Movement in the Milky Way featured only ICM photos.
ICM’s rise reflects a shift from pure documentation to creative expression, allowing for interpretation and evoking strong emotions. Its appeal may lie in its ability to blur the line between photography and painting.
Kaisa Sirén is a Rovaniemi-based photojournalist and photographic artist specializing in Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) to capture the changing seasons and delicate landscapes of northern Finland. Her work has been widely published in Finnish media and exhibited across Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany. Kaisa is a co-founder of the ICMPhotomag Network Community and ICM Photo Academy, where she also teaches ICM photography. Her studio, Villa Vinkkeli, hosts art exhibitions and events.
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Want to dive deeper into ICM photography? Join the community at ICM Photo Academy for courses and inspiration. Stay connected on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK for more creative insights.
Discover Kaisa Sirén’s artistic journey on INSTAGRAM and explore her work at her website.
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