I’ve been very much enjoying getting creative with ICM this past 6 months or so. I captured this image at a road-side pullover in Tasmania back in May, using a zoom-and-twist motion at an autumn tree to create the effect you see here.
General composition, post-processing feedback - technique, emotional response, colour harmony, contrast, saturation, luminosity
Ben, I know you normally photograph both traditional grand and intimate landscapes so seeing an ICM image from you makes me smile. I love the swirling motion in your image. The yellow and pale blue colors work nicely. The overall exposure looks good as well.
For zoom and twist technique, I find that it helps to have a thing to focus on. Currently, the swirls pull my eye into the center but there is not much to hold my attention there. Hope that makes sense. Thank you for trying ICM and for sharing your wonderful example here.
Thank you for the thoughtful comment Alfredo! I’ll keep an eye out for more a more obvious point of visual interest when creating images like these. Having a lot of fun with them!
Very cool shot, Ben! My favorite thing about it is how you can still see some of the shapes in the trees. My only critique is to try and bring the shadows down some to see some of those details in the trees. Would create contrast too
Ben,
I think you’ve captured a terrific image with such a classic motion technique of using the zoom - and also rotation. That tunnel effect of pulling the eye in works great here. But also, the higher-key approach takes this one a step up in this genre of ICM’s.
The biggest downside to these images has been commented on - and that’s the issue of having this very cool zoom and “drawing you in” effect - but being pulled in to see, what? The eye get’s drawn in but there’s not much to land on when you get there. Now I’m not saying that’s a total downside as I think you’ve maximized the effect and I think this is very well done. In fact, I like the randomness of the small branches coming to life as you get towards the center.
This is well executed and again, I like the higher-key processing.
Lon
Thank you Lon! Yes not the perfect composition, certainly could have used something in the centre. However I think I like it enough for it to make the portfolio 
