Pictorialism or Simply Out of Focus?

[jwknyc]

This is a photo from my grandfather's collection taken in 1930s Nebraska. I always found this photo interesting because it was different from most of his other photos that were taken in a more modernism Ansel Adams style. I used to consider it a botched job, but a few years ago a friend said it might have been taken in a pictorialism style. Is pictorialism meant to be more grainy like a Seurat? Does this look more like soft focus or out-of-focus shot? I know nothing about the pictorialism technique. I would appreciate any critiques.
46189
The photo was likely cropped to accentuate a desired compositional effect.

[Steve M Hostetter]

Looks to me to be an old photo that was handled a lot..

[Ben Syverson]

Just looks like he missed the focus. Or perhaps it was a long handheld exposure. Doesn't look like intentional pictorialism, especially given what you wrote about his style.

Hey, they can't all be keepers! :)

[Gem Singer]

Slow shutter speed. Camera was not held stationary.

Camera moved. Everything is out of focus.

[Harold_4074]

Camera moved. Everything is out of focus.

But the fence wires (both vertical and horizontal) seem to be sharp. This sort of looks like a paper negative print, although that seems really unlikely.

I wonder if he had breathed on the lens on a cold day, and got this result?

[jnantz]

it looks like the photographer focused on the foreground
and did a long shakey exposure ...

i kind of like it ..

[Brian Ellis]

Pictorialissts tried to provoke thought and feeling in their work in order to overcome the mechanical nature of photography. They selected subjects common to the graphic arts, they emphasized individualistic treatment, and they presented their images in an "artistic" manner. I wouldn't consider this photograph to be an example of pictorialism whether it was intentionally blurred or not but others might disagree.

[GPS]

Camera moved. Everything is out of focus.

But the fence wires (both vertical and horizontal) seem to be sharp. This sort of looks like a paper negative print, although that seems really unlikely.

...

The fence is also out of focus it is just more contrasty hence it seems sharper...

[Gem Singer]

Some folks have great imaginations.

This is probably a snapshot taken with a simple box camera.

The person who took the picture did not compose it with any particular artistic thought in mind and did not hold the camera steady during the exposure.

My mother's scrap book from the 1930's is filled with blurry photos, turning brown, like this one.

[Armin Seeholzer]

In the early days of photography was it always better to have an unsharp picture of something then nothing! The materials have been relativ expensive for normal people in those days!

Cheers Armin

[Jim Galli]

Looks like it was taken with a Kodak Brownie that had the single achromatic meniscus lens and was used wide open. Add a little shake to that and voila! I doubt pictorialism was the intent.

[Curt]

Movement but if you like to call it Pictorialist I'm not going to complain.

[paulr]

Softness is just one superficial quality of pictorial images. This picture doesn't have any of the others. It's austere, factual, and unromantic ... practically anti-pictorial.

But I think it's a really interesting picture. Great find.

[cosmicexplosion]

looks like he is standing next to a really tall skinny elephant!

[jwknyc]

Thanks for your comments.

Yes, the photo is simply out of focus.

I just liked the four different horizontal sections with progressive shading of the landscape and sky that creates a flatness. A dark foreground progresses to the light background of the sky. It is then cut through by the dark verticals. The angles of the different sections produces somewhat of an anti-perspective effect.

[And I posted this by clicking on "Post Quick Reply" seven months late. Go figure.]