DOUBLE THE MOTION

JAMES WYSOTSKI

// James lives in Whitby, Canada. Growing up in the suburbs of Toronto, he has always lived on Nature’s doorstep. As a result, the nearby forests aren’t just a place for him to hike; they are – and have long been – his source of serenity and inspiration. Wandering their trails with his camera in hand, James uses intentional camera movements (ICM) to produce his abstract woodland images.

The techniques provide him the perfect means to capture his fleeting visions, observed while in motion. By embracing the blur, he focuses on his impressions of the forest instead of its structure. Form dissolves as textures and colors take precedence. To him, the movement creates an image that better reflects his experiences. After all, ICM photography is about interpretation, not replication.

When not among the trees, James writes post-apocalyptic and sci-fi novels. And, he confides, “I take my scotch neat and love my weekend lattes.”

“Impressionism is not a movement, it is a philosophy of life.”

Max Lieberman

What draws you to the arts?

The arts ground me by linking me to my past. Good pieces can be full of so much emotion. To connect with them is rewarding because they draw out old memories, both happy and sad – ones that we might otherwise have forgotten. Reliving these experiences, especially ones that were intense, makes me feel alive. If I’m being honest, the draw is twofold. On a number of levels, it’s also about achievement. First, I want to capture what I see, and that’s not always easy to do because of the fleeting nature of my observations. Sometimes, it takes more than ten attempts to get an image just the way I’d envisioned it. The moment I see that picture on my screen, there’s a great mixture of relief and excitement. I also get delight in sharing my images. As much as I love pictures and words, I am a numbers guy, too. The data on Instagram is addictive and intoxicating… as well as inspiring. Seeing a photo of mine do well makes me want to pick up my camera and run back out into the forest.

What do you like best about the project you submitted?

Most of the time, I have two feet planted on the ground when I take blurry photos. Standing with my arms tucked at my sides, I move my camera with all sorts of spins, jiggles, and motions. With experience, the varied outcomes have become somewhat predictable. Though still rewarding, I found myself wanting to try something new. One day, my son and I discussed the idea of having me move instead of my focal point. To clarify, I would walk around a tree with my shutter open. The idea excited me, so I tried it. While good in theory, the idea didn’t work well as a single exposure for two main reasons. First, I wasn’t moving fast enough to see the tree from multiple angles. After all, I didn’t want to trip and fall. The second was that my camera wasn’t stable. Vertical wobbles caused by my stride caused unappealing blips and ruined all definition. To remedy these problems, I pictured myself sliding smoothly on a filmmaker’s rig. Unfortunately, I had no access to such machinery. That was when the solution hit me. I could take these pictures from a car. Going 80 kph, I could move my camera to capture trees while they were coming and going, all within my split-second exposure. In my opinion, the trials were a success. I am ecstatic with the results and gratified by the positive feedback.

With this style of ICM photography, there is an element of the unknown that excites me. Timing optimal movements with my quick exposure requires precision that’s easy to get wrong. Remember, there is only one chance to get it right. No matter the result, I must move on. After all, I’m the passenger of a speeding car. If my image isn’t up to my standards, I pick another tree and try again. Since there isn’t time to check every shot when I take it, I can’t wait to get home and see what I’ve captured. Many shots will hit their marks, but even more won’t. Thankfully, the “mistakes” are often interesting for unexpected reasons. But those images that turn out… wow, I’m pleased. The frenetic movement is full of swirls and leaves shooting out in different directions. Sometimes, it looks like there are three axis points on which my image spins. Compared to my usual, stationary efforts, the movement seems physically impossible – and that’s what I like about it. It goes against conventions. With ICM photography, a big part of the joy comes from breaking all the rules.

I’ve titled this submission “Double the motion” because while taking the photos, I’m not only moving my camera (intentional camera movement, also known as ICM) but I’m also moving myself – in this case, inside a car. ICM photography uses much longer exposures than typical photos. All of the shots I’ve submitted were 1/5 of a second and wide angle. Typically, I take much longer shots when doing ICM; however, the speed of my car requires the slightly faster exposures. These shots are all single exposures that have been edited for colour saturation, contrast and balance. Nothing new is added.

Click on the photos to see a larger image. Some images may be cropped for layout.