r/whatisit • u/Hangry-24-7 • 1d ago

New, what is it? Uncle holding something

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Picture of my wife’s uncle as a boy 7 or 8 yrs old. Grew up on a farm in western NY. This picture dates back to around 1947 or 1948. What is the boy holding? Is it a toy? Or some sort of farm tool?

Update — yes this photo was enhanced using ai to take the graininess out of the original picture. My wife is giving a copy of the image to her cousin for an 80th birthday gift along with other photos.

The AI bashing on this post is unbelievable! How come nobody is bashing the fact that I used a scanner to create a jpeg of the image as opposed to creating a duplicate from a photo negative in a dark room and sending out 250 copies thru the postal service?

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u/ClearTranslator5093 1d ago

This is very very high definition for black and white from the 40s … lol

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u/PXranger 1d ago

Film resolution is highly dependent on the size of the negative, if this was taken with a Rolleiflex Twin lens reflex camera, for example, it would have been using 6x6cm 120 film.

Professional digital cameras matched the resolution of 120 film around 2010, and just in the last couple of years have professional digital camera bodies matched the quality a large format film camera (using 4x5 inch film). these digital camera systems will cost you around $10,000, without lenses. This to match technology that was available in the 1940’s.

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u/Yeti_Colo 1d ago

I you know so much about vintage cameras and photo youd see the other obvious issues. Too much depth of field, too sharp on the edges for the focal lenwits suggesting. Too even of illumination on the subjects. Unless this was a staged pro shoot its not happening. That is even before thenother issues.... the peoples shadows and face illumination shows the sun at 7 from the camera but elsewhere its around 11 or 10. The roof is wrong and they didnt put vents like that on a garage. There are more ques as well. 95% chance this is fake.

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u/PXranger 19h ago

Too much depth of field? depth of field is a function of aperture size. assuming this photo was taken in sunlight, using ASA 100 film, it's reasonable to assume the aperture was at least f16. that would give sufficient depth of field consistent with this photograph. You are also mistaken about the shadows, the shadow in the background is consistent with a building casting a shadow from behind the photographer.

Looking at the photo zoomed in, it's obvious that AI has oversharpened the image. It's a AI correction of a scan from an original photo as the OP stated. as for illumination, it is not inconsistent with the assumed lighting.

Also, buildings don't always have roof vents. some have end vents. or no vents at all.

I've taken tens of thousands of photographs over my lifetime, sold quite a few of them, also. The technology you are calling "Vintage" was state of the art when I started using it. I have a decent grasp on how it works. Yes, this photo has been AI enhanced, but per the OP, is started life as an actual film based photo.

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u/Yeti_Colo 19h ago

Yes, too much depth of field. As you point it physics is physics. This wasnt hyperfocus, so the focal plane was the subjects. The CoC would have a smooth an non varying transition fron the subjects to the ladder 20 ft back to the support wire 50ft and the apple tree 150ft... It doesnt. And definitely not for an f16 shot on MF. We can go in other areas as well like the exposure time at that stop vs the asa and lack.of grain plus trying to keep little kids and blowing hair in focus.

But shelve all that photo nerd talk. The shadows simply dont match. Again physics being static: lock in the boys shadows. Everything in the photo should match... and it doesnt. The parents dont cast the same shadow. The building that you claim is behind them casting the roof shadow doesn't cast it on the driveway like it should. The ladder has full sun behind it when it shouldnt. No look at the roof. I have experience in roofing... its simply not right. Those are trying to be 3 tab shingles. The offset on 3 tabs is 50% all the way. The seems will never vary and definitely never allign or the roof leaks. As for tbe vent, no 1950s roof especially a garage will have a mid slope vent like that. No need as the structure is already leaky enough and they simply didnt have the tech. Again that would leak and rot every single rain.

I think your blind spot isnt the vintage camera knowledge, its modern tech. This is AI and it fooled you.

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u/PXranger 14h ago

I had a long rebuttal typed out, but this is getting tiresome.

I disagree with your opinion, and I'll leave it at that.

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u/Yeti_Colo 14h ago

Ok, well then you dont recognize AI even in subject areas you claim to be an expert in.... you might be cooked going forward.

Explain to yourself how the kid is throwing harsh shadows but his face is perfectly lit? Or that the parents and baby group has no shadow. Or how the kid has legs and toy shadows but those dont connect to a body shadow.

You got caught in an uncanny valley situation which is fine, but not being able to pivot towards the truth to save face inst going to serve you in 2026 and beyond.