ABSTRACT
F64 Another member of the group, Paul Strand, pioneered ‘straight photography’, fully exploring the medium’s strengths and careful observation of subject matter. Strand believed that the emphasis should lie in the ‘seeing’ and not the later manipulation in order to communicate the artist’s feelings. The work and ideas influenced photographers such as Edward Weston and Ansel Adams who decided to take up this new ‘Realism’. They formed the group F64 and produced images using the smallest possible apertures on large format cameras for maximum sharpness and detail. Straight photography heralded the final break from the pursuit of painterly qualities by photographers. Sharp imagery was now seen as a major strength rather than a weakness of the medium. Photographers were soon to realise this use of sharp focus did not inhibit the ability of the medium to express emotion and feeling.
