S&S Picturalism

Picturalism was one of the earliest movements in photography, somewhat related to impressionism. High point between 1885 to 1915. A style in which the photographer has somehow manipulated what would otherwise be a simple photo to "create" an image instead of simply incorporating it. The goal was to convey an emotional message. Typically, a pictorial photo appears to have a sharp focus and was printed in one or more colors usually ranging from warm brown to deep blue. It was a reaction to claims that a photo was nothing more than a simple account of reality. The debate was about whether photography was an art form.

The technics they used were Bromoil, Cyanotype, Carbon print, Gum, Oil print processes and Platinum prints. With a lot of these processes one could use a painting brush which gave the painted look and feel. Half of these processen I tried myself.

I myself also feel very motivated to create a photo and not just press the button. That action is similar to working as a sculptor with the medium photography. I also agree with bringing an emotional message.