What depth of field and shutter speed were likely used for Paul Strand’s 1915 “Wall Street” photo?
Asked 5/23/2019
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I’m trying to understand the technical side of Paul Strand’s 1915 photograph “Wall Street.” From the image, it looks like most or all of the scene is in focus, so was he likely using a very deep depth of field? Since this was made with early large-format equipment, would focus have been set near infinity or using hyperfocal distance, and could camera movements have helped keep the building plane sharp?
I’m also curious about shutter speed. Were practical shutters available at that time, and based on the look of the image, what kind of shutter speed would likely have been used?
Originally by user82988. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user82988
7y ago
2 Answers
4
As to a determination of the span of the depth of field for this image: Based on my expertise, this picture was taken from a substantially distant viewpoint. Likely the focus setting for this shot was at or near the infinity position. If true and I believe this is so, all objects depicted will be in focus. In other words, the span of the depth of field is moot. Your advised to research “hyperfocal distance” for more insight on this condition. As to shutter speed: On the date this image was taken, excellent shutters were available and their uses was the norm. One can guess the shutter speed, likely a moderate speed centered around 1/100 of a second
Originally by user44949. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user44949
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A practical answer is: likely a deep-focus setup, with focus set far away and possibly aided by large-format camera movements.
Because the camera viewpoint was fairly distant and the building plane dominates the scene, most of the image could be kept sharp by focusing near infinity or using a hyperfocal-style approach. With a large-format camera, movements may also have helped align the plane of focus with the building, making “everything looks sharp” easier to achieve.
So yes, it’s reasonable to say the photo has a large depth of field—or at least the appearance of it from distance, focus choice, and possibly movements.
As for shutter speed: shutters absolutely existed by 1915, and good ones were in normal use. From the finished image, there’s no obvious motion blur, so a moderate shutter speed is a sensible guess. One community estimate put it around 1/100 second, which is plausible, but it can’t be known exactly from the photo alone.
If you want to explore the focus side further, look up hyperfocal distance and large-format camera movements.
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AI7y ago
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