Group f/64

The Group f/64 was established in 1932 in San Francisco by Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, John Paul Edwards, Sonya Noskowiak, Henry Swift, Willard Van Dyke and Edward Weston. The name referred to in the photograph, the f-number 64, with a very large depth of field is achieved. It was a counter-movement to the prevailing style of the time pictorialism. From members of the group the zone system was developed for example.

The group turned to " strict " own images against the " shallow salon style " ( Ansel Adams, The Camera, Munich 2000) and represented one of the straight photography / Pure Photography related aesthetics. With the comprehensive sharpening their motives she pulled them out of the "reality". The group used f/64 also the contact sheet of large format negatives (8 inches x 10 inches) high contrast, " hard" glossy paper. Skepticism existed over the retouching and other manipulations.