Group f/64 was a photography collective founded in California in 1932, with the goal of promoting photography as a fine art form. The group's name was derived from the aperture setting on large-format cameras that would produce a sharp image throughout the depth of field. The founding members of the group were Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, Willard Van Dyke, Edward Weston, Sonya Noskowiak, and Henry Swift.
The group emphasized sharp focus, high contrast, and detailed resolution in their work, in contrast to the soft focus and pictorialism of the previous generation. They believed that the camera's unique ability to capture detail and texture was an essential aspect of photography as an art form.
Group f/64 held several important exhibitions, including their first show at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco in 1932. The exhibition featured the work of the founding members as well as other notable photographers such as Brett Weston and Alma Lavenson. They also held a second exhibition in 1934 at the same museum.
The group's emphasis on straight photography and realism had a significant impact on the development of fine art photography in America. Their influence can be seen in the work of later photographers such as Robert Adams and Stephen Shore, who also emphasized clear and precise images of the American landscape.
Ansel Adams, one of the founding members of the group, is perhaps the most well-known and celebrated photographer associated with f/64. His iconic black and white images of the American West, particularly Yosemite National Park, have become synonymous with the group's ethos of sharp, precise images.