Pictorialism, an approach to photography that emphasizes beauty of subject matter, tonality, and composition rather than the documentation of reality.

Pictorialists were very keen on using soft focus and often did so by putting things on the lens or adding filters in the dark room. Additionally, Stieglitz noticeably cropped his image, which shifted the focus of the subject matter completely.

Alfred Stieglitz, Alvin Langdon Coburn and Edward Steichen were some of the most active photographers of the Pictorialist era. Stieglitz was the driving force and his significance lies as much in his work as an art dealer, exhibition organiser, gallery owner, publisher and writer.

Pictorialism as a movement thrived from about 1885 to 1915, although it was still being promoted by some as late as the 1940s. It began in response to claims that a photograph was nothing more than a simple record of reality, and transformed into a movement to advance the status of all photography as a true art form.