ICM Photo Academy

This month we share tips about succesfull ICM photos:
Tip 12:
Are you hooked to the image: this has two hooks, the graphic black and white elements themselves and the gull flying almost sharp against the background between the branches. It makes you stop scrolling and study more and invent the story.

There is a new video on creativity released on our YouTube chanel today. In conversation with Riika Pikkuvurta from

You can watch the video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1H8QoygaFE

It is the last 24 hrs time to register to the ICM conference on the 22nd of August starting at 9AM Eastern tme. Here is the link to sign up. Registration closes Thursday 20th at 12 midnight Eastern time. At 45$/pp

https://meredithimages.com/product/virtual-creative-icm-conference-ks/

More tips on successful images:
Tip 11:
Movement of my eye around the image: It is important that the image is interesting enough to make the eye go around and study further. But the movement must not escape outside or you lose the viewer.

Here the eye makes big circles around the person but always is pulled back to the lower left corner due to the light. As the eye goes up the dark top right corner keeps it inside the image.

More tips on succesfull images:
Tip 10:
Busyness: The nature of an ICM image is having a lot of movement and hence they can be very busy. In this image, despite having many elements, trees, the overall feeling has stayed relatively calm. Similarity of the trees as well as the light creates this.

This month we will share more tips on how to recognize a succesfull image:

Tip 9:
Distracting elements, direction of the story; There is a huge dark area just above the pelican which is catching the eye all the time and is very distracting. Always watch for corners and all the edges for small distracting spots. Also, if you think of the western way of reading, this pelican is flying to the wrong direction.

Continuing from my previous post: 

When I had discovered that abstract art and using ICM to do that was my cup of coffee, I started to ponder my why. Why do I do art and why is it so important for me. It was a long process to find the answer and required some mentoring as well. But once I discovered my why and what i am chasing for everything took a huge leap. Making art became so much easier and more interesting. And I never run out of ideas since i now can connect my art to myself and who I am. And what is my why? It have pinpointed that into 4 words: Forest Walker, Colour Seeker, Ousider and Visualizing the Unseen. And the last is the key why mirroring from my childhood. Having been unseen I now want to create visuals.

After the successful takeover by David Day we are back to posting images and thoughts by Kaisa and Morag. And August is Kaisa's turn.

I have been thinking about my journey as a photographer and why I landed with ICM. I have worked a long time as a photojournalist and it sure is a fun job. But all the time I have had the urge to make personal project and be more of my own boss with my photography. But all projects I came up with were one way or the other very photojournalism like. And they started to feel more and more like work with their codes, rules and restrictions. I had discovered ICM already 2004 and tried it occasionally, but never took it seriously as a way of expressing myself.

It wasn't until 2017 that I experienced a lightbulb moment and understood that making art and expressing myself in an abstract way is what I have been craving for for years. And ICM is a perfect genre for that expression. There after my artistic carrier has taken leaps, now that I know my why and what I am chasing. And photo journalism plays only a small part of my work these days.

In this picture is a piece called Dark Peace of Mind and it is from those lightbulb moment- times. An image I am so pleased with and feels close to my heart and just what I am chasing for. I hope you have also experienced these lightbulb moments in your art practice. If not maybe we at the www.icmphotoacademy.com can help you?

Would you like to learn more about creative photography. This will be a great chance to do so. The conference takes place Saturday 22nd of August and starts 4PM Eastern European time ( 2PM UK time, 9am Eastern time). Goes on for about 6 hrs and has 6 speakers including myself. Please use this link to book: https://meredithimages.com/…/virtual-creative-icm…/
Hope to see you all there!!

A huge thak you to David Day for doing a great Instagram takeover with the most intriguing images last week. I hope you all have enjoed them and learnt about new subjects and techniques.

If there is anyone here interested in a takeover do not hesitate to send us a pm. We do these once in a while and could forsee another in a couple of months.