Teaching Students About Pictorialist Photography
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Pictorialist photography is a style of photography that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that emphasized the beauty and artistic expression of a photograph rather than solely documenting the subject matter. This approach to photography was also known as “artistic photography” and was marked by soft focus, manipulated printing techniques, and a focus on atmosphere and mood rather than sharpness and clarity.
Teaching students about pictorialist photography can be a valuable way to introduce them to the artistic possibilities of photography and to encourage them to see photography as a form of creative expression.
One approach to teaching about pictorialist photography is to begin with a brief history of the genre, including the influential photographers who helped to define it. Some of the key figures in pictorialism include Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, and Clarence H. White. Students can study their work and explore the techniques they used, such as soft focus, darkroom manipulation, and printing on textured papers.
Once students have a sense of the history and techniques of pictorialist photography, they can begin to experiment with the style themselves. One effective technique is to start with a photograph that has a clear subject or location, and then use editing tools to create a more atmospheric, dreamy, or impressionistic image. Students can also experiment with printing techniques such as cyanotype, gum bichromate, or platinum/palladium printing to create unique and textured images.
Another way to engage students with pictorialist photography is to ask them to analyze and interpret the emotional content of photographs. Pictorialist images often have a dream-like or romantic quality that invites interpretation and contemplation. Students can write or discuss their responses to particular images, focusing on how the visual elements (composition, lighting, tonality) contribute to the mood or feeling of the image.