While researching my earlier post Re-examining the Link Between the Rise of Photography and Impressionism , I ran across a couple of great examples of Pictorialism that are too good not to share. These early photo impressionists used soft focus and post production techniques to create some really beautiful images. I think they provide a really strong argument in favour of turning off your auto focus.
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Some of the most influential Pictorialists seen in one picture. Frank Eugene, Alfred Stieglitz, Heinrich Kuhn and Edward Steichen admiring the work of Eugene, circa 1907. This is a good example of post production scraping of the negative to isolate the subjects and produce a more impressionistic effect.
Nocturne, circa 1912, by Karl Struss. A really nice example of soft focus.
Karl Struss nude. Another soft focus; less is more.
Portrait of Mrs. White-Clarence H. White. To me this image feels like an impressionist painting; perhaps a Manet.
Stieglitz-Winter. Think about the mechanics of this picture. The streaks of snow give away the slow shutter speed; another beautiful soft image.
Another Stieglitz “Spring Showers, The Coach.” 1902. I love the mix of grain and softness here.
Niagara, a photograph of Niagara Falls (from the Canadian side) by English photographer Alfred Horsley Hinton (1863–1908).
Resources:
The Photo Impressionism Project 