The Art of Blur: iPhone ICM Photography
A new book by UK photographer Adrian McGarry explores iPhone ICM (Intentional Camera Movement) photography, combining creative vision with practical techniques. It demonstrates how iPhone apps can transform everyday scenes into painterly, abstract images. The book features many inspiring examples and step-by-step guidance. It’s a valuable resource that motivates, challenges, and empowers new and experienced iPhone photographers to express their creativity freely.
In today’s photography landscape, where technical perfection often grabs the spotlight, a quieter, more subtle side to creativity deserves recognition. It’s the art of capturing the mood of a moment, conveying emotion, and presenting a fresh perspective. For over a decade, Adrian McGarry has embraced iPhone photography, using the device not just as a camera but as a means to express his artistic vision. In a world where images flood our screens, he seeks to offer something different: an invitation to pause, reflect, and experience the essence of a moment.
What began as an experiment in 2012 with iPhone photography evolved into an obsession that went beyond the literal, shifting the focus from pixel-perfect images to capturing the transient nature of time.
Over the past five years, exploring the Intentional Camera Movement has propelled his work into new realms. Moving the camera during long exposures transforms ordinary scenes into dreamlike abstractions, where texture, light, and shadow are as important as the subjects. He says, “I’m not just capturing a scene—I’m capturing how it feels.”
McGarry’s five-year ICM journey culminates in his new book, The Art of Blur: iPhone ICM Photography. The author divides the book into two parts:
Part 1: A World in Motion
Three distinct series are showcased, defining his ICM exploration:
- Coastal Impressions: This reflects the coastline where the author’s connection with nature deepens, and ICM serves as a tool to capture the feelings that the coast evokes.
- Urban Echoes: The city is a never-pausing rush of life, light, and movement. It’s not just fleeting scenes that are captured but the energy and rhythm of urban existence.
- Spiritissima: This is a reimagining of Venice’s annual carnival, capturing the romance, intrigue, and nostalgia of the event. These timeless images, processed in black and white, evoke mystery and an ethereal connection to the past.
By intentionally embracing blur, McGarry opens the door to new ways of seeing the world, not as it appears, but as it resonates. Whether it’s the calming flow of coastal water, the vibrant pulse of a city, or the dreamy, otherworldly atmosphere of a foggy morning in Venice, intentional blur lets the photographer, and the viewer, explore the space between reality and abstraction.
This isn’t blur for the sake of it, the photographs have intent and purpose.
Part 2: Crafting The Blur
In the book’s second part, the photographer shares his techniques for creating ICM imagery using an iPhone. This practical guide offers step-by-step instructions on four different methods:
- Live Photos: A feature built-in to iPhones.
- Light Stack Camera: A simple app for long exposure by Cogitap Software.
- Spectre Camera: A powerful, AI-assisted app by Lux Optics Incorporated that captures motion blur and light trails.
- Slow Shutter Cam: Cogitap Software’s versatile app for advanced control over exposure time and multi-exposures.
Explanations for each app’s settings, best practices, and creative possibilities are included, providing valuable insights into how and when to use each method. The approach is simple, straight to the point and easy to understand.
The journey of creativity has no fixed path, and readers are encouraged to take risks, experiment, and explore the unknown, understanding there’s no right or wrong way to create art. Each shot is an opportunity to push boundaries and express emotions beyond what’s visible.
The Art of Blur is not just a photography manual; it’s a call to break free from norms and see the extraordinary in the everyday. It empowers us to challenge our perceptions, embrace the beauty of imperfection, and find joy in our creative process.
Don’t just take photos — create art.
The Art of Blur, iPhone ICM Photography is available now in e-book and print editions via Amazon.
Contact Adrian McGarry via his website to order signed, printed copies directly.
…
A UK-based photographer, digital artist, and educator, renowned for his expertise in iPhone photography and his ability to blend cutting-edge technology with creative vision. His diverse portfolio includes landscape, urban, street, intentional camera movement (ICM) photography, and digital painting. A respected workshop leader and keynote speaker, Adrian frequently presents to camera clubs, corporate events, and photographic conferences. He holds an ARPS distinction in Visual Arts from The Royal Photographic Society.
www.instagram.com/adrianmcgarry
www.facebook.com/adrianmcgarry.shotoniphone
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Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
One Comment
Philip Parsons
Adrian is definitely the master at this! Will be looking forward to getting a copy of his book!