Is photography an art?

Since the invention of photography, critics have argued that it cannot be compared to drawing or painting because creating a photograph was thought to require only pressing a button. This view questioned photography as a legitimate art form. In 1902, Alfred Stieglitz initiated a secessionist movement to challenge this misconception, arguing that photography should be recognized as a distinct branch of art. Pictorialists began to treat photography as a handmade process by applying techniques such as smearing Vaseline on lenses, scratching negatives, and painting chemicals on prints to simulate brushstrokes. This made photography to a  handmade process, ultimately bringing it back to its traditional roots as a handmade art form, also showing that human invention is needed in photography.

In 1950, a revolution occurred in art, except in photography; everything had changed, except photography. Pictorialists still focused on the blurry mood. Then Paul Strand realized that cameras had a unique ability to capture forms sharply and directly, leading to the birth of “straight photography.” This new style marked a clear break from pictorialism. Unlike pictorialists, Strand took subjects as they appeared in reality, with sharp focus and without manipulation. Straight photography emphasized the true and real form of subjects, producing clear and straightforward images.

Additionally, the purpose of taking photographs underwent a significant change. Pictorialists viewed photography as a form of art, incorporating handmade processes and applied art techniques after taking photos, so that the images looked more complete and finished like paintings. Pictorialists manufactured their photos to resemble paintings, aiming to evoke that aesthetic of emotion. Instead, a straight photographer focuses on the beauty of the photo itself and the reality; no manipulation. These types of photographs often convey a clear and sharp sense of beauty in the subject, also focusing on the framing, which represents a distinct departure from pictorialism.

The introduction of straight photography created a significant revolution in the photographic world, inspiring new abstract forms. It introduced a fresh, modern concept that appealed mainly to young photographers. Today, straight photography is one of the most popular styles, followed and developed by photographers such as Andreas Gursky, the photographer of “99 cent”, and Edward Weston, the photographer of “Pepper No. 30.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a photo named “New York 3” by Aaron Siskind, an abstract photographer. This photo focuses on the wall’s texture and has a clear focus. It also shows a unique form of the wallpaper falling. With this photo as an example, we know that the straight photography movement has influenced Aaron Siskind, as his photograph also focuses on its sharp focus, form, and texture, which were the main points of straight photography.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This photo above called “Pepper No. 30” is one of Edward Weston’s, an American photographer, most popular artwork.  It has a clear focus on the pepper, emphasizing the contrast between the light and shadow with its form. Taken in 1930, “Pepper No. 30” shows a radical departure from the prevailing soft-focus and atmospheric Pictorialist style to a much more pure formal vision. Weston became convinced that: “real photography can only be achieved through realism.” (“Edward”).

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a photo called “99 cent” by Andreas Gursky. This photo shows a real view of a shop with various color shaded patterns, which grabs our eyes more than each individual products; abstract photography. With this photo as an example, I believe that Andreas Gursky can be considered as a straight photographer as his photos have a clear focus and seems like they’re almost not manipulated at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Uta Barth’s famous photograph name “Field #3”. As this photo, Uta Barth’s artworks are mostly out of focus, which makes her photographs abstract. Also, this lack of clarity informs us that she’s a pictorialist as pictorialists focuses on the blurry and romantic mood.

WORKS CITED:

Andreas, Gursky “99 cent” Photograph. Dragon’s Exchange, ISB, 15th August 2025. https://dx.isb.cn/dash/#/classroom/945836/sections/lesson/958329/page/958334, Accessed 30th August 2025.

Aaron, Siskind “New York 3” Photograph. The Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland Museum of Art, 1996, https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1989.468, Accessed 30th August 2025

Edward, Weston “Pepper No. 30” Photograph. Dragon’s Exchange, ISB,15th August 2025. https://dx.isb.cn/dash/#/classroom/945836/sections/lesson/958329/page/958333, Accessed 30th August 2025.

“Edward Weston-Pepper No. 30” Holden Luntz Gallery, Holden Luntz, https://www.holdenluntz.com/artists/edward-weston/pepper-no-30/, Accessed August 30th 2025.

Uta, Barth. “Field #3” Photograph. Uta Barth, https://utabarth.net/work/field/#image-4, Accesed August 30th August.