Though seldom mentioned outside of photographic circles, Group f/64 included such luminaries as Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, and John Paul Edwards. Founded in San Francisco in 1932, Group f/64 would expand in following years to include a number of members. Members, particularly Ansel Adams, would go on to impact the process and prowess of photography for decades to come. In 2006, one of his prints alone fetched more than $600,000 at auction.
The name of the group comes from the way that apertures were set for a focal system on cameras that was then growing in popularity. The more commonly used Uniform System designation was first suggested, with the proposed name being "US 256" - a very small aperture stop. F/64 was suggested instead, since it was the corresponding setting for the other focal system, and was less likely to be confused with a nationalist name. F/64 is the smallest setting on large format cameras, securing the maximum field of depth. This means that a photo taken on this setting has the same sharpness from background to foreground.
Small apertures of this type imply use of long exposures. That means that traditionally, this setting was used for subject matter that either did not move or moved very slowly - still lifes and landscapes. However, the group's location in California meant that these long exposures were less necessary, given the relatively bright light available. Cameras of this size did tend to be large and clumsy, which limited subject matter to some degree, however. By comparison, the cameras used in 1930s reporting and action photos were much smaller and easier to maneuver.
At the time, pictorialism was all the rage in photography. This movement had its roots in the 19th century and chained photography to the mere emulation of etchings and paintings. Soft focuses, special lens coatings and filters, and heavy darkroom manipulation were all used to achieve this end, which Group f/64 found unnecessary. They strove for a clear, defined photographic image using simple, direct presentation and photographic methods only, a strong contrast to the pictorialist philosophy.
The aim of Group f/64 was the redefinition of photography by means of its intrinsic limitations. They pointed out that the aesthetics and ideological conventions of painting and drawing, which were often used to judge photography, had developed before photography itself even existed, and could not take that medium into proper account. Members of Group f/64 went on to be some of the most influential photographers in the country, and their techniques and photographs are taught in many photography schools. - 15437
The name of the group comes from the way that apertures were set for a focal system on cameras that was then growing in popularity. The more commonly used Uniform System designation was first suggested, with the proposed name being "US 256" - a very small aperture stop. F/64 was suggested instead, since it was the corresponding setting for the other focal system, and was less likely to be confused with a nationalist name. F/64 is the smallest setting on large format cameras, securing the maximum field of depth. This means that a photo taken on this setting has the same sharpness from background to foreground.
Small apertures of this type imply use of long exposures. That means that traditionally, this setting was used for subject matter that either did not move or moved very slowly - still lifes and landscapes. However, the group's location in California meant that these long exposures were less necessary, given the relatively bright light available. Cameras of this size did tend to be large and clumsy, which limited subject matter to some degree, however. By comparison, the cameras used in 1930s reporting and action photos were much smaller and easier to maneuver.
At the time, pictorialism was all the rage in photography. This movement had its roots in the 19th century and chained photography to the mere emulation of etchings and paintings. Soft focuses, special lens coatings and filters, and heavy darkroom manipulation were all used to achieve this end, which Group f/64 found unnecessary. They strove for a clear, defined photographic image using simple, direct presentation and photographic methods only, a strong contrast to the pictorialist philosophy.
The aim of Group f/64 was the redefinition of photography by means of its intrinsic limitations. They pointed out that the aesthetics and ideological conventions of painting and drawing, which were often used to judge photography, had developed before photography itself even existed, and could not take that medium into proper account. Members of Group f/64 went on to be some of the most influential photographers in the country, and their techniques and photographs are taught in many photography schools. - 15437
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