ICM Challenge 2023 -May - Complimentary Colours - Charlotte Bellamy Photography

Welcome to the fifth of the 2023 ICM challenge publications. After last year’s massive success, I have decided to organise once again, an annual ICM challenge for my creative group.

I created this ICM challenge, to offer a friendly competition within the creative group I run for all previous course attendees and mentee students. It is to encourage interaction in the group and to offer a reason to share or make photos in reaction to a prompt. Each month in 2023, a new challenge subject will be set in the group. It may be interpreted however an individual wishes, but the ICM technique must be the overriding element in the image. I have chosen an outside judge for each challenge to offer a wide variety of feedback and varying outlooks on ICM photography.

This is a cumulative competition:

• Points 1- 10 are awarded for the top 10 placings each challenge. (1st place gaining 10 and 10th place 1)

• A point is awarded to every entrant to say thank you for submitting. In December there will be an online awards evening, with some small prizes, and to celebrate everyone’s achievements.

Complimentary colours

The Complimentary colours challenge is now complete. Once again, I was delighted with the number of individuals submitting to the challenge. Congratulations and a massive thank you to all who submitted and got involved. It is amazing to see so many different ways of interpreting a concept word. This year I’m challenging participants to get a bit more creative and follow what they love to photography, and this challenge offered a wonderful selection of varying ICM styles and subject matter.

This challenge the entries were judged by Linda Bembridge She has very kindly made a comment on the whole top 10 images – so lots of valuable feedback to enjoy. I have followed Linda’s work for a while after seeing one of her presentations online and being inspired and excited by what she shared. Linda has some wonderful projects which tell of stories and experiences on her website, and she offers training as well. Please go and see her work for inspiration.

Please go and check out her website www.lindabembridge.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/LindaBembridgePhotography/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/lindabembridge

If you are interested in online or in person courses, please check out my website for more info www.charlottebellamy.com

I also have a You tube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CharlotteBellamycreativephotography/videos

Please email with any questions or comments Charlotte@charlottebellamy.com

Copyright remains with each of the photographers, please do not save in anyway the images from this document.

Without further ado – I would like to introduce you to your winners. Congratulations to the top 10.

Judge’s comments

I keep coming back to this image. There is movement and energy plus I think it tells a story. The subject is identifiable but very small in the frame which gives it fragility and intrigue. Extremely enjoyable image and definitely a winner for me.

Ania posted this with her image when submitted Here's my contribution - an image taken last year (I've been experiencing a bit of a lull when it comes to photography recently). The title is 'Staying put' and it had something to do with constantly feeling out of place and not belonging anywhere (mostly as a photographer) and finally finding my blade of grass. It's a multiple exposure plus textures.

Winner – Ania Rolinska

Runner up – Christine Griffiths

Judges comment

I get the feeling of a really hot summer’s day, almost unbearably hot with maybe some respite from the heat as clouds swirl overhead. The lens flare is a good contradiction – it’s going to stay hot!

Judges comment

I am guessing this is Brighton Pier, or what remains of it. I love the gentle colour palette, contradictory but also complementary. The way that the ICM technique has been used effectively tells the story of the pier itself – on fire…!

Joy Tracey

4th Place

Miriam Manners

Judges comment - Quite a joyful image. I like the collection of boats all bobbing in the water. The use of ICM here has added a sense of energy and playfulness which I think works really well.

5th Place

Debbie Christie

Judges comment - Such a playful image although I definitely wouldn’t want to be on any part of that roller coaster!

6th Place

Sally Barker

Judges comment - This image is all about the choice of colours. Simple but strong shapes with that beautiful Orange providing contract and balance. It has a mystery about it which I enjoy

7th Place

Camilla Ruayisire Gore

Judges comment - Lots going on in this image, plenty of stories to tell. Is our figure walking into a different world? The blues and yellows in the foreground are delightful and mysterious at the same time.

8th Place

Judges comment - Beautifully gentle image. The ICM here has brought a softness and allows us to focus entirely on the gentle colour palette and restful scene.

9th Place

Judges comment - Very much the story of summer. I enjoy the strong colours and the hint of a landscape; just enough detail to allow us to understand the view, not enough to be a distraction. Very enjoyable indeed.

10th Place

Jaana Kotoneva

Birgitta Larsson

Judges comment - Quite a different image, The colours are very enjoyable and I love the smoky restfulness in the scene.

Lorraine Grey

The other entries

Barbara Kato McKenzie

Federica Morgan

Annabel Foot

Reiner Heisel

Tommy Cronholm

Lola Makower

Anne Kleff

Michelle Jackson

Margaret Stapper

Angie Robertson

Colin Smith

Moy Calverley

Steve Knight

Sarah Parker

Malcolm Brown

Valerie Huggins

Charlie’s picks

This year I am going to pick a selection of images out of the challenge after the judging is complete

so these images will never be the same as the top 10. I just wanted to have the opportunity to recognise even more of the beautiful images. There is no t a set number each month, so some months you may see more in this section than others, especially if I agree with the judge on all their choices! These images all achieve a bonus 2 points.

Just to say this challenge was insanely difficult to pick my extras as every single one in the challenge hit the brief of ‘bleak or wild’ beautifully. So, these that I have chosen this challenge for me gave me the greatest feeling of wild or bleak.

This month’s images are:

Dawn Westwood

I just love this image – for is beautiful colour palette, but also the brave and simple composition. It reminds me of a Rothko style painting. The ICM is lovely and the textures of the two colours work really well.

Sue Woodbridge

This image is dynamic and bold. I love the balance between the two colours. The crop really accentuates this image of 2 halves. The ICM movement is super – really sharp and the black background works great as well.

Maureen Stuart

This is another bold and dynamic image. I love the simplicity but complexity. The blue triangles are sharp and crisp, while the wiggly orange lines feel more organic. The two beautifully balance in colour, concept and feel.

This image is a very gentle take on the ‘complimentary colours’ but the light purples and oranges of this beautifully soft and gentle ICM work great. I love the simple and smooth lines and composition.

This bold use of green and purple in this ICM image to create a really abstract result works well. It looks like a painting – so simple, the way these two colours work together with the ICM technique is super.

Charles Thorne

Marion Woodman