How to Do Long Exposure ICM Photography

Ready to take a deeper dive into what's possible with ICM Photography? Our Longer Exposures Online Course could be the perfect option for you.

The course-only price is £50. Or if you'd like Morag or Kaisa to review your images, the course + image review version costs £95.

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Here is what You will learn:

The course includes eight lessons, 65 minutes of video and 8 PDF's.

We will explore:

1.

4 x different movement combinations

2.

Covering Part of the Lens

3.

Slow Zoom

4.

Upside Down

5.

20-minute exposures

Take advantage of long exposure times

In this course we will be further evolving our ICM Photography skills by using even longer exposure times than before. The reason for using these longer exposures is that you get to control more elements within the image. For example you can have multiple different types of movement in a single exposure. You can keep some elements static, and then introduce movement. The creative possibilities really are endless and we are going to take you through several different techniques in this course.

In this workshop there are 8 self-study lessons that each teach you a way to benefit from longer exposure times.

Each of the 8 lessons has a video that explains the technique and the exercise. You will also receive a PDF download of each exercise. You will unlock the next lesson upon completion of the previous one. All students get access to our private Facebook group where you can post your photos and ask questions from the teachers and other students.

You can select affordable self-study or a version with teacher review

This course comes in two versions;

£50 - Affordable basic version, and;

£95 - Review version, where after the course you can send 4 photos to the teachers for feedback.

The lessons are identical, the only difference is the feedback. You can do both versions at your own pace, where ever and whenever you want.

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FAQ

What kind of camera do I need? What else do I need?

You can use any camera in which you can adjust shutter speed, aperture and ISO. You also need some photo editing software to tidy up your images. For example Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom or Affinity Photo.

Can I use a smartphone camera? Which apps can I use?

Yes you can. If you have an iPhone, try apps like SlowShutterCam or SlowShutter. And if you have an Android, try Camera FV-5 App. However, some lessons might be easier with a 'proper' camera.

Do I need prior experience, or do I need to take some other course first?

This course is not for complete beginners. If you have no experience, we recommend taking the Elementary course first.

You need have an idea how exposure time, focal length, size of the camera movement and speed of the camera movement affect the final image. It would also be good if you have some experience of basic ICM movements, like vertical and horizontal.

How long does the course take?

The exercises in this course are a bit more challenging than in our other courses. We recommend you go out after each lesson and practice the technique you just learned. The videos are between 5-15 minutes long, but then it’s up to you how much time you spend practicing each technique.

How long do I have access to the course?

You get lifetime access.

Which course should I take after this one?

Consider learning how to edit your ICM photos with the Creative Photoediting course. Or, if you'd like to work one-on-one with a teacher, take a look at our Mentoring packages.

Why you should Take this course

1.

Learn how to benefit from even longer exposure times

2.

Watch 8 videos accompanied with 8 downloadable assignments

3.

Turbo charge your ICM Photography skills

4.

Study at your own pace whenever and wherever you want

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Testimonials

"If you rarely use long exposures, this is the course for you. The Long Exposure Course was one of my favourite courses at the ICM Photo Academy. It taught me several different moves that I can do during a long exposure. You can also do several moves during one long exposure. Even a taste of Eric Malm’s techniques were part of the lessons. What I like best about the Academy’s tutorials is that they are not long and drawn-out videos. You have lifelong access to all the courses you have taken at the ICM Photo Academy. "

— Kathy Ward, Canada

"I found the longer exposure course very helpful and educational. It helped me to discover many more ways to be creative with my photography. I also feel that longer exposures can give more of an impressionistic feel to photographs which I like. By using longer exposures there is time to combine more than one movement in a single image. These movements and techniques are described in detail in this course. There is also an accompanying video at the beginning of each lesson which is a great learning tool as well. The majority of my images are now created using longer exposure times. "

— Marian Adoranti, Canada

"The Longer Exposures video class by Kaisa Sirèn and Morag Paterson gave me a solid grounding for my creative photography. The tutorials opened up potential for growth in experimental photography, such as Intentional Camera Movement and multiple exposure. I took this class some time ago but my new direction, fine art photography in 2026, requires a foundation in techniques learned in this class. I highly recommend this course for anyone building a creative photography practice or who just wants to gain the benefits of mindful photography and developing a greater awareness and connection with their environment."

— Heather Ebey, USA