This famous group of San Francisco photographic artists all had similar philosophies and styles. Created in 1932, Group f/64 included such well known photographers as Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, and John Paul Edwards, as well as many more. However, these people were not all considered members when the group began. Its seven founders initially announced a showing that included themselves and others, listed as guests. A few years later, however, many more photographers were considered members. Members, particularly Ansel Adams, went on to have an extremely significant effect on the way photography was and is performed, both in the US and worldwide. In 2006, one of his prints fetched more than $600,000 at auction.

The group derived its name from the then-new camera aperture setting. The more commonly used Uniform System designation of US 256 was first suggested as the group’s name, but f/64 was suggested instead as it was less likely to be confused with a nationalist theme. The f/64 setting is the smallest setting on large format cameras, yet it secures the widest 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.

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