Paul Strand

Here's a small photograph of him taking a portrait whilst on the Outer Hebrides.

slide2.jpg
 
Paul Strand shot with a 7x5 Portrait Graflex.

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He seems to have more than one 7x5 Graflex, the book cover is of Paul Strand shooting on South Uist in 1954.

Ian
 
Ian, are you sure he is using a 7x5 camera? Most of the photos in my book measure 10 x 8 i.e. a different ratio to 7x5. This led me to assume he was using a 10 x 8 camera.
The lady who is sitting for her photograph in the picture you put up is Kate Steel. Her portrait (clearly recognisable) is in my book. And, like most of the others in the book, measures approx. 10 x 8 inches.

Alan
 
Strand photographed with both 8x10 and 5x7 cameras. He masked the latter's rear standard so it only exposed an approximately 5x6 inch area, proportions like the 8x10 that he felt were optimum. He used the same 12-inch Dagor for both.
 
Sal Santamaura said:
Strand photographed with both 8x10 and 5x7 cameras. He masked the latter's rear standard so it only exposed an approximately 5x6 inch area, proportions like the 8x10 that he felt were optimum. He used the same 12-inch Dagor for both.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that Sal. Very interesting.
 
I’d suggest that once the portrait is set up and the camera focused, stopped down and the slide drawn, the photographer can stand next to the camera and fully engage with the subject. No need to observe through a glass darkly.
With a reflex camera, a view is still available to check composition, but if Strand was masking down from 10x8, that might not be necessary.
 
Alan Clark said:
Ian, are you sure he is using a 7x5 camera? Most of the photos in my book measure 10 x 8 i.e. a different ratio to 7x5. This led me to assume he was using a 10 x 8 camera.
The lady who is sitting for her photograph in the picture you put up is Kate Steel. Her portrait (clearly recognisable) is in my book. And, like most of the others in the book, measures approx. 10 x 8 inches.

Alan
Click to expand...

As Sal says he masked the GG screen and film gate to achieve the ratio, the largest reflex cameras Graflex made were 7x5 Portait Graphics.

That's definitely a 7x5 Portrait Graphic in the photo.

Ian
 
Ian Grant said:
As Sal says he masked the GG screen and film gate to achieve the ratio, the largest reflex cameras Graflex made were 7x5 Portait Graphics.

That's definitely a 7x5 Portrait Graphic in the photo.

Ian
Click to expand...
Thanks Ian.
 
That is a serious tripod. I'm thinking it may be the Akeley that he would have used with an Akeley motion picture camera back when he made films such as The Plow That Broke the Plains. The Akeley was also a subject for his still photography, for example: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/265353

I suggest googling Paul Strand Akeley motion picture camera for more examples.

David
 
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