DANCERS IN MOTION

AMY NEWTON-McCONNEL

//Amy is a passionate photographer based in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Having developed an interest in the effects of intentional camera movement, she enjoys creating painterly and abstract artistic effects. She shared a series about dancers, where the motion blur is particularly striking.

Amy has always had a camera and an interest in photographing the world around her through traditional photography techniques. In the past three years, she has discovered ICM photography, which utilizes techniques where the camera is intentionally moved during the exposure. “ICM has sparked my artistic creativity and allows me to create abstract art with my camera. I am inspired by lines and textures, colors and shapes and create art that inspires emotional response. ICM photography inspires me to see, feel and think differently and interpret my surroundings in a new and unexpected way. My goal is to find the extraordinary in the ordinary and offer a unique perspective,” Amy says.

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”

Elliott Erwitt

What draws you to the arts?

“I am a visual person and have always been drawn to art. In addition to photography, I also create mixed media collages. It has always been a way to express myself in a way that words cannot. I grew up with a family who appreciated the arts – visual, musical, theater, and culinary arts to name a few. Since childhood, I have always have engaged myself with art through creating my own and appreciating the art of others through education, reading and discussion, visiting museums, attending performances of all modes of expression.”

What do you like best about artistic photography such as these abstract dancer images?

“I love photographing dancers. The graceful, fluid motion of the dancers is captivating to me. I believe I captured my allure of watching dancing in this series.”

Amy´s dancers series was taken at the 2021 Herberger Theater Art festival in downtown Phoenix last November. Amy photographed a number of performances ranging from children´s dance to young adults performing. She utilized ICM photography to capture the movements and emotion of each performance.

Click on the photos to see a larger image in original proportions. Some images are cropped for layout.