To What Extent Are Landscape Photographers Today Influenced by the Pictorialist and Straight Photographers of the Past?
With this in mind I sent my first proposal to my tutor:
At the moment my argument is based on my observations and reading on landscape photography both from the past and of current photographers and also on a 'gut feeling' and the way I feel that my own practice has changed over the last couple of years. I have yet to do my in depth research and may be proved wrong. The argument is that in the early years of photography, photographers wanted there work to be considered fine art and so produced fine, hand-crafted prints, often with soft focus effects. These were the Pictorialists and they formed societies promoting the cause of photography as a fine art rather than a mere mechanised form of image making. As a reaction to this, in the early years of the 20th century, some photographers adopted a factual style or 'straight' photography where subjects were recorded sharply and with precision. These photographers included Ansel Adams and Group f64. Some photographers began as Pictorialists, but later embraced the philosophy of straight photography and even became some of its more ardent advocates; such photographers as Weston, Stieglitz and Steichen. These two styles of photography are the ancestors of photography today. I will argue that for may years of the 20th century, perhaps into the 21st century landscape photographers shunned Pictorialist ideals and followed those of 'Straight Photography'. During the last decade, however, and perhaps with the increased use of digital photography, there is a return to a Pictorialist style of photography. Two techniques that come to mind: the first is the use of ultra long exposures to give a milky smoothness to running water to record the passage of time (Adams prided himself on the use of fast shutter speeds to capture a moment in time); the second is the use of Intentional Camera Movement photograph. Of course it must remembered that neither of these techniques are actually 'new'.
I know that you have warned me about trying to cover both 'Straight' Photography' and Pictorialism, but I am not sure that I can argue my case otherwise. I take your point, however, and if I start getting bogged down I shall have to rethink.
Sources that I plan to use include:
Jeffries, Photography a Concise History - Chapter 5 is good on Pictorialism
Beaumont Newhall, The History of Photography - Chapters on Art Photography, Pictorial Photography and Straight Photography
20th Century Landscape Photography, Bill Brandt,
Books by Ansell Adams and reference to last years (?) major exhibition at Greenwich and the exhibition catalogue
The Photograph Gallery at the V&A
Books by Joel Mererowitz, Galen Rowell, Joe Cornish, Carlie Waite, David Ward,
Current magazine articles, especially Outdoor Photography, BJP and National Geographic
Exhibitions by Charlie Waite and Don McCullin
Websites
As this is a vast topic I wanted to focus in on landscape photography, partly to narrow it down and also because this is my favoured genre, along with wildlife.
My tutor felt that my proposal was a reasonable one but that the tile was rather awkward and vague. Through discussion we settled on:
The Rebirth of
Pictorialism in Photography. Is a return to Pictorialism Finally Threatening
the Dominance of 'Straight' Photography?
Having made my proposal and agreed a title, it was time to think of an essay plan:-
I decided that the best way forward would be to use the plan suggested in the course notes.
Introductory Paragraph (150
words)
Introduce the question I have asked in
the title. Be provocative?
Introduction (500
words)
Describe the situation and historical
background and what has occurred within this that has prompted the review. Setting the scene
Outline of Argument (200
words)
Introduction to the argument to be
made. Summarise what will be looked at
and how, and give an indication to the conclusion to be drawn at the end.
Body of the Argument (1000
words)
Development of the argument, paragraph
by paragraph. Counter arguments to be
mentioned where relevant and position stated on them.
Conclusion (150 words)
Recapitulate and summarise the
argument; draw conclusion and state how this affects my own photography
Apart from combining the first two sections I endeavoured to stick to this plan and sent my completed essay to my tutor on 21st October.
