When I first made the transition from film to digital photography several years ago I was, like most photographers at the time, somewhat overwhelmed by the new technology. It was photography without film. I was excited about the possibilities the new technology offered, yet at the same time I seemed to focus more on what digital couldn't do. I, again like many photographers, would often make comments similar to "Yes, but film does this much better," or "film does that better."
After just a few short years, and coupled with advancements in the digital darkroom, the new technology not only caught up with film but surpassed it in every way. One of the advantages to using digital technology that I embraced early on was a new freedom to explore and try new things knowing that I wasn't wasting film. Who cares if I made a couple hundred wasted exposures? It didn't cost anything. So, encouraged by Maryland-based photographer +Tony Sweet I embraced the idea of intentional camera movement…I wanted to use my camera like a paintbrush! This truly opened up a limitless array of possibilities.
The photo above is a painterly color study accomplished entirely in-camera by utilizing intentional camera movement during exposure. I use this technique often and the large prints I make from my successfull experiments are quite popular and sell very well. In a later post I will cover the technique in much more detail.
