At the turn of the 20th century, photographers in Europe and the United States began to perceive photography as a means of expression in itself. They created unique works with painterly qualities, characterized by artistic soft focus and interesting light effects. Steichen spent long hours in his darkroom, experimenting with mixing materials and methods. Only three original prints of Moonrise – Mamaroneck are known to exist. One of them sold at auction in 2006 for almost three million dollars.