Stephanie Johnson Photography (StephJohnPhoto)

Testimonials

It is very important to me to provide the best possible service and value to those attending workshops and mentoring sessions with me. I do not take it lightly when someone puts their trust in me and to allow me to be a part of their creative journey, and being of service in the best possible way is always at the heart of everything I do. To all those who have attended a workshop, retreat, presentation, conference, talk, mentoring session, etc., with me - THANK YOU for allowing me, in some way, to have a role in teaching, encouraging, leading, guiding, and inspiring you along your path. I am grateful we were able to connect in this way, and each of you has inspired and encouraged me along my own path, as well.

It is my hope that the testimonials below reflect the joy, the passion, and dedication I have for offering what I can in the spirit of service to seeing others flourish and find their own artist vision and voice.

Carol How (Canada) –

I thoroughly enjoyed your course, your enthusiasm, and your method of teaching. I absorbed so much from your class - as much as I possibly could - and certainly hope to keep practicing and learning. Thank you for dedicating your time and passion and secrets on this wonderful and spiritual way of communicating with yourself, and with others through your camera.

Carole Burnett (UK) –

Stephanie’s ICM course was truly inspirational in using and experimenting with this technique in photography. Stephanie was so generous in sharing her knowledge and experience in ICM. Her talks were interesting and informative. Stephanie’s feedback of our images were encouraging and positive, and we learnt so much from this part of the session as well. Stephanie created a very safe space to share and talk about our work, and she answered our questions with patience and interest. The course met all of my expectations, and I was shown in detail the techniques of using ICM and encouraged in using my own personal creative process. Stephanie was an amazing tutor. She was very professional in delivering the course and inspired us all with her enthusiasm and passion about ICM. I felt she wanted me to enjoy and develop my own creative side in all aspects of The Arts. Thank you, Stephanie, for a brilliant course. I would really recommend Stephanie’s courses to all.

David Skinner (Australia) –

I found Stephanie to be very professional, and her many years of experience translated into an online workshop that gave a very smooth presentation, precise instruction, and assignments that gave hands on application and feedback with constructive comments for improvement. The encouragement to "do the work" in assignments was a sure way to learn from practice and experience the techniques demonstrated and taught. Stephanie backed her verbal explanations with a PowerPoint style presentation that was easy to read, with great images as examples.

David Taylor (UK) –

I had been practising ICM photography for a number of months before the workshop, but I was not over the moon about the results I was getting. This course has provided so much information and guidance that I have now decided where I want to take my ICM photography and the goals which I want to achieve now post workshop. This is totally as a result of Stephanie's teaching and advice, which was priceless. This workshop was incredible. Stephanie's knowledge and enthusiasm are second to none. The constructive feedback was brilliant, and the assignments really enforced the lessons and the supporting material we were given. This workshop was not a chore, it was brilliant. You felt that you had achieved something in the end. I cannot put into words how impressed I was with Stephanie's professional approach to the deliveries and to the way she gave us feedback and encouragement.

Harry Lewis (US) –

I feel this workshop was extremely helpful and enjoyable. Stephanie's command of the subject matter and her ability to communicate it was amazing. Anyone just starting out in ICM or the experienced veteran would find this workshop to be of great benefit and fun. Stephanie is a very thorough, supportive, and engaging workshop leader. I feel I learned a lot in a very positive environment. Learning from the critiques of the other participants’ work was also quite helpful. Stephanie was quite masterful in the way that she managed the class. Stephanie is extremely professional, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and concerned.

Janet Burdon (UK) –

This is a great course for anyone interested in ICM photography. Stephanie is a very knowledgeable teacher. The course content was very interesting, and the projects she set for us were fun, and I learned a lot from them. There really is no better learning experience than getting out and practising what Stephanie had shown us. It was a lovely friendly atmosphere, so I would have no hesitation in recommending a course with Stephanie.

Lisa Tutinas (US) –

Stephanie Johnson's ICM workshops are engaging, inspiring, and full of useful resources and instruction that will help to take your ICM to the next level! Having never taken an ICM workshop before, I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by how detailed and organized the workshop was. The only expectation I had coming into the ICM Mastery Workshop was to learn new skills for ICM, and the ICM Mastery Workshop exceeded all expectations, providing me with a better understanding of ICM and a great respect for Stephanie's technical skills. I found the weekly artist inspirations very beneficial, and the selected artists matched up very well with what Stephanie was presenting, aligning beautifully with her teaching. I LOVED the image critiques/reviews. I was continually impressed each week with Stephanie’s very detailed, thorough, and useful suggestions to improve our ICM.

Marybeth Flower (US) –

I loved your class, and I learned a whole lot. You are a great teacher because you are compassionate, encouraging, and you listen well, while at the same time giving positive criticism to your students. At every session, it was clear that you cared about your students' growth. The examples of your work and the videos were very helpful to me in terms of understanding the techniques of ICM and ME. I enjoyed your class, and I am inspired by your work and the techniques I learned during the workshop.

Michelle Sampson (US) –

My journey into ICM Mastery has been glorious and has been made so by one person and one person only, Stephanie Johnson. She is so well spoken and so organized in her thinking that she was actually the perfect teacher for me. And while for sure ICM is a very technical and initially somewhat frustrating practice (at least for me), she helped established in me the concept that there are no right or wrong ways of doing it. She also encouraged all of us to work with a sense of fun and adventure, as well as with a practice of self-exploration. Her ability to instill confidence is just naturally built into her delivery style and persona. And the reason I think she is so darn qualified to teach this is because she's done it all herself, over and over and over, and now you get to benefit from all of the knowledge she has gained and is so capable of sharing with you. Stephanie takes her responsibility as a teacher seriously. I believe she thought about every single minute of time she had with us to imbue in us all of the knowledge she felt we needed in order to grow and flourish and to give us confidence to seek out our own voice and to develop our own artistic sense, as well as learning all the technical aspects to be successful in the ICM and ME ICM world. I could not have made that statement if every single thing she did was not first class and of the highest quality. This is not just a class to her. This is her life's work, and it shows. She's both a talented teacher (which not all that can do can teach) but also a caring and compassionate person and I feel like she's given each of us a gift of knowledge and confidence and skill. I never wanted this class to end and was continuously amazed by how she gradually led us into learning about art and the role it plays and how you need to explore and study other artists and develop your own emotional exposure, sense of self and self-exploration. Please don't miss the wonderful opportunity to study with Stephanie. Both you and your ICM journey will profit from the time you spend together. It has been just a wonderful experience for me, and I know it will be for you as well!

Munier Hossain (UK) –

A brilliant course. Stephanie Johnson is a kind and caring mentor and knows how to nurture and support the creative pursuits of course participants, be they novice or established artists. She spends a lot of time and effort to ensure that each participant gets the most from the workshop. I was unsure whether to attend the workshop as I am a novice to the ICM technique, but I have absolutely no regrets. I cannot recommend this course highly enough to anyone interested in ICM.

Pat Coble (US) –

Thank you, Stephanie, for a pivotal workshop. My life will never be the same. I now have an incredible journey to continue and a creative voice I did not know I had! Before the workshop, I did not have any specific expectations about the course, but I knew I was attracted to ICM images and felt pulled to sign up when I came across the workshop. I am so glad I did. This wholistic, well-organized, well-referenced, supportive, encouraging, engaging, mind/heart/soul-expanding, inspirational workshop is like no other. It is not just about ICM, or how to do it, or tips and tricks; it is about each person who wants to "do the work" to learn more about themselves and their creative/artistic energies. I enjoyed the connections to various art styles, music, and the development of a series. Loved the photographers of the week to study and the reviews of books to inspire you. All of the content was outstanding and a true goldmine. Stephanie is gracious, encouraging, non-judgmental, very knowledgeable, has a sense of humor, and walks the talk.

Phil Dunbar (France) –

I found this course to be very inspiring, and it taught me a lot about the use of ICM. Stephanie gave us very clear instruction about the different styles and techniques without being prescriptive: she strongly encourages experimentation and then gives great feedback on assignments. I learnt a lot by “doing” on this course and found my confidence to continue and progress much enhanced. Stephanie’s enthusiasm for the subject is infectious. She has a great knowledge of technique and is obviously skilled at giving positive feedback and encouraging her students.

Phyllis Hollifield (US) –

The time, thought, dedication, and passion Stephanie has for her ICM art is truly inspiring. The detail, organization, professionalism, encouragement, and inspiration in the ICM Mastery workshop class was amazing. The content, assignments, and images reviews were spot on. I feel my ICM has been elevated to the next level, and I have the tools to go higher. This was such a wonderful class, and Stephanie’s passion and knowledge are inspiring. The class was very professionally done. Stephanie’s interaction with participants never felt rushed. I will be able to take what I have learned to enhance all aspects of my photography.

Renee Giffroy (US) –

I thoroughly enjoyed Stephanie's ICM Mastery Workshop. It was hands down one of the best online workshops I've attended. Stephanie is so generous with her knowledge and critiques, and she works diligently to ensure all participants get what they need and want from the experience. I learned so much from Stephanie's insights and am inspired to continue to explore the world of ICM and ME ICM.

Rita Swinford (US) –

One never knows what to expect when starting a workshop, and I had my frustration bias already built in with respect to ICM. All the same, having seen the ICM magazine I was hopeful. While the 'bar' was set fairly high (weekly assignments), the pressure kept photography up front along with the message to "practice, practice, practice.” Stephanie created a warm, very safe space for all levels of artists, never failing to see the attributes in each and every entry, along with a mindful question that clearly demonstrated her close listening. She shared her own passion by showing us her work at all stages and by step-wise allowing growth. Nowadays, one can hear "oh, everyone is doing ICM and ME." That may be partly true. Did photography push 'art' into impressionism? And the digital era lead photographers to ICM and ME (i.e., Guy Tal)? I don't know; however, I don't care. Stephanie showed us that ICM/movement/ME/camera painting can produce wonderful images that have merit. A big thank you.

Steve Harris (US) –

I must say, I feel I got everything I wanted and hoped to get out of the ICM Mastery workshop, and then some. I know I have grown a lot through this workshop, as a photographer, as an artist in general, and of course as an ICM photographer in particular. I feel my competency with the genre has improved a lot, and I’m so pleased with the results. As someone who loves abstract art, the connections you made with both Impressionism and Abstract Expressionism really resonated with me, and then, for me to see some of my own work echo these styles, well, it’s very rewarding indeed.

I also wanted to say that, while the workshop was quite a lot of work, it was more or less what I expected, certainly requiring us to push ourselves. I think you struck a really good balance with the assignments. And I loved having an artist or two each week to study and get inspired from. It was so rewarding and fun at the same time.

I really appreciate the thought you put into the class material, and all the connections you encouraged us to explore. Overall, it has been a very enriching experience, and I want to extend my heartfelt thanks.