During the early 1900s, there were many new approaches to photography, including the Pictorialism movement and the Straight photography movement. Pictorialism is an international style and aesthetic movement that dominated in the late 1860s. According to Britannica, it is “an approach to photography that emphasizes beauty of subject matter, tonality, and composition rather than the documentation of reality.” This shows that Pictorialism wasn’t just recording the picture but trying to create an artwork. Pictorial photography usually lacks a sharp focus, is printed in one or more colors, and has different textures, such as having visible brush strokes. Pictorial photos are more than just photos, as they are like paintings or drawings. This type of photography creates an emotional intention, as it is like the viewer’s imagination.

Straight photography is photography that depicts a subject with a sharp focus. It is more of a pure form of photography, unlike Pictorialism. Straight photographers use many darkroom techniques to create the photo. This is done by having a “…higher contrast and rich tonality, sharp focus, aversion to cropping…”(Wikipedia). These techniques help to emphasize the abstract geometric structures of the subjects. Straight photography became very popular because the photos show different parts of daily life, as it represents a deeper appreciation of the world we live in.

Straight photography is very different from Pictorialism, especially because of the meaning and the techniques used to take the photo. Straight photos are very realistic and objective, while pictorial photos are more subjective and artistic. Both movements have different aesthetics. The purpose of straight photography is to prioritize clarity and precision. Differing from straight photography, Pictorialism creates an emotional and artistic statement.

Edward Weston and Aaron Siskind were influenced by the realism in straight photography, emphasizing the sharp focus, clarity, and depiction of the subject. He was interested in taking pictures of the natural world, as the pictures show different textures and patterns. At the same time, the photos also show clarity and precision, which was a unique way to incorporate the straight photography movement with his own style and aesthetic.

   

Andreas Gursky and Uta Barth’s photos are very abstract, as they show different angles, textures, and perspectives. I believe that Andreas Gursky (photo on the right) is a straight photographer, as his photo shows clarity and precision and has many geometric structures. On the other hand, Uta Barth (photo on the left) is a Pictorial photographer since the photo lacks sharp focus, which shows a dreamy, artistic picture.

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