#353 ASSIGNMENT: BILL WARD
Friday's guest Bill Ward, rejoins me, to set a photo assignment for a new week and if you listened to the previous Photowalk (episode 352) you may be expecting a particular style of creative camera use. The assignment is a challenge set for the next seven days; a way to think differently about how you approach making your pictures. We'll both be fascinated to see what you come up with, so email what you make to the show via the contact page.
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Bill Ward asks you to think creatively in a way you may not have used your camera before.
BY ERIC JOSEPH
(Above and below.) I’ve been catching up on my episodes and was happy to hear from Bill Ward on Intentional Camera Movement. I first learned about ICM quite a few years back and it’s something I’ve been getting into more with various subjects. My first photo to share is from along the Oregon coast at sunset. The second is from a gorge in upstate NY, trying it with trees for the first time.
This is my contribution to this week's assignment. Challenging when you are otherwise used to doing everything you can to get rid of all camera movements. The pictures are from my photowalk near my home in Piteå, northern Sweden. At this time of year, the days are getting shorter and the photos are taken in almost complete darkness. Will definitely explore ICM further.
BY COLIN MAYER
(Pictures above and below.) Really enjoyed this week’s episode with Bill Ward. I think it was because, although hemispheres apart in our careers, we do have one thing in common and that is we both love our careers and love our photography equally. So good to hear that there are others like me in that regard. Now on to the assignment, ‘in camera movement’. I do this genre from time to time and may need to do more! Here are a few ICM shots for the board.
I just wanted to say how much I enjoy your podcast and to send you a couple of ICM images I made. They are the only ICM images I have attempted so far and I think I will have to try doing some more soon. Both images were taken just a few minutes apart whilst on a dog walk with my “barkalot” Sausage Dog Henry. We live in Chorley Lancashire and a regular route we take follows a footpath by a stream alongside the M61so you’ll probably be able to guess that the first image is of a DHL Truck whizzing past on the motorway, whilst the second will be a little harder to identify but I know that when I tell you I guarantee you will know you will have seen many of these on your walks with Sir Barkalot. It’s an image of the once rare but now quite common species of Tree, no it’s not a Mali’s Tree, at least I don’t recall him ever photographing one yet, it’s the “Poo Bag Tree!” Interestingly this particular Poo Bag Tree had a rather striking Red Poo Bag growing on it, so I just had to capture it in all its glory. Happy Photowalk.
BY STEPHAN HENNING
(Above and below.) Thank you so much for your interview with Bill Ward - what an amazing character. Some time ago, I tried some ICM (and also multiple exposures) but was frustrated by the results. Turns out, I just didn’t do it right and gave up too soon. Bill Ward’s story convinced me to try again ( I will embrace the “5 out of 100“ from now on). Short winter days easily allowed for some long shutter speeds on my next walk. I embraced the cold air, bland trees and vanishing light, packed my gear and “hung loose"… 😀 Later in Lightroom I just did some cropping and adjusted white balance a little.
BY MIKE MILLER
Please find attached two images for the episode 353 Assignment - Intentional Camera Movement. One is of a Christmas tree ball and the other is of some Christmas lights on my neighbour's home.
BY SARAH MOORCROFT
Thank you for two fabulous episodes with Bill Ward. One kept me company as I headed into Campbeltown (that’s Scotland not Australia-land) to do the grocery shopping on Friday, and the assignment today kept me thinking about nice positive things as I headed to Lochgilphead to the dreaded dentist. He’s probably very nice, but I don’t seem to get past the whole hideous painful sharp pointy things into the mouth horror to get to find that out! I often take ICM photographs and have shared some with the Facebook group, I love the essence of the colours and forms, and identified strongly with what Bill was talking about. I'm a bit of a learning addict though, always want to know more about anything I do in photography, enjoy pushing myself, and even if it doesn’t work, I am thinking how I can make it work next time. So you and Bill had me out of the car, traipsing across beaches, headlands and hillsides, experimenting with lens movement rather than my more usual camera movement. Am I the only one who only enjoys the shopping trips for the distractions to be enjoyed en route? It's quite the art to get a shot that feels right, and the final images are more about creating than taking, more abstract than real and I like that. I’m attaching a few images to share in case your other listener hasn’t already added anything. There is a bit of an explosive feel as I explore this different style; it’s fun to try something new. By the way, these were all taken with my new to me wee Canon EOS M6, courtesy of MPB after my original faithful friend packed up, and a Sigma 17-70 lens which gave me room to zoom in or out as the moment took me. As always loving all of the podcasts and also the fabulous Photowalk Community on Facebook, Vero and Insta and of course on the website - the perfect antidote to a crazy world.
BY RICHARD YARP
(Pictures above and below.) I loved the recent Photowalk episode with Bill Ward. A wonderful listen and it, combined with the Assignment show, inspired me to get out and do some ICM. I was listening while I was out running some errands so I decided there was no better time than that moment to give it a whirl. So I stopped by a local pond to capture the photos I have attached.
I have been waiting to capture some fall color this year. It always comes late in the season as we live in a northern suburb of Houston called The Woodlands. And only some trees change color due to the type of vegetation we have around here. One type of tree that does change is Cypress trees which grow around wetlands, ponds, and lakes. Combining the ICM techniques with raindrops on the leaves provided some fun vibrant abstracts. I used both the panning method, and the zoom method to capture the attached. I was shooting with my Fuji XT3 (purchased from MPB 😊) with the 16-55 f2.8 lens. With the aperture closed down, and ISO set to 160, the shutter speed ranged from 1/6 sec to a 1/2 second across the three. I know the failure rate is high with ICM. I shot just under fifty photos to get these three. I should add, it was not the first time to do ICM, but the timing was perfect with the discussion on the show and having the fall colors to play with
BY NICK LEACH
For the first time, I have done the assignment!!! Not arty really but ICM to demonstrate speed!
BY ERIK JACOBY PETERSEN
ICM and some practice during the morning commute to work. I have forgotten how addictive this is and I need to test it more.
BY VINCENZO PESCE
BY PAUL FRIDAY
(Pictures above and below.) In response to Bill Ward's challenge. I was delighted with the conversation with Bill Ward, not least because I know now who the other Pentax person is. And yes, we are a cult. I was due out that weekend for a toddle with the youngest lad. Normally I'd rather put marbles in my boots than shoot landscapes, but doing some fuzzies was fun. It even got the lad's attention off his phone to ask what on earth I was doing. He then held the dog's lead while I waved the camera about. Such moments of familial bliss are to be treasured. For the picture of the River Ouze, I was trying to pan with the water. Not sure if I got it, but I've been back since to have another go. Who’d have ever thought you'd get me outside twice in one week? The tree and the bush were multiple exposures, which I like. I'm thinking of where I can go to get a more isolated tree I can shoot with a longer lens. So you may even get me out again. I'll be buying OS maps next, and carrying them in a plastic pouch around my neck!
BY BILL COUNTS
Images taken on iPhone 13 Pro Max with a slow shutter app/blur app. One was stationary with vertical camera movement. The other was taken from a car driving in a parking lot around a tree. Love the show! Truly unique in its format.
BY NEALE JAMES
Above and below, my tentative steps into producing ICM work whilst recording the Photowalk episode number 356.
