The Object: Group f/64 and the roots of Still Life photography...

Group f/64

Group f/64 was a group of 7 photographers, based in the San Fransisco area, who begun a new modernist era in photography. Their work concentrated on using their camera to accurately represent the objects they were photographing. This involved using very high apertures to keep the images sharp and in focus, and also using darkroom techniques to accurately expose all parts of the object. Their work really still life photography into a recognized art.

Out of the artists in the group, the most notable members were Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. Their work, both in still life and landscape photography, both used the same technique of using a high aperture to capture extreme detail. In search of capturing images with perfect detail, Adams created the Zone System, a way in which to work out the correct exposures for different parts of an image.

This photograph by Edward Weston (1920) Is an amazing example of the detail and tone that these photographers managed to capture in their work. Even in the darkest shadows and brightest highlights of the subject, there is still great detail visible.

This great attention to detail is something i like to do in my work. When i think of still life, i think of images/paintings that are almost life like when you see them, so its this kind of detail and realism i want to bring to my work.