I have an automatic minolta slr 300si. Ansel Adams zone method is alien to me. I would like to put a artistic twist on his methods if i only knew the controlled method.

Your Feedback is much appreciated. :>

-- Shawn Sparks (s_8ball@email.com), January 25, 2000

Answers

I think AA put rather a good artistic twist on it himself. The best references are the three books by him: The Camera, The Negative and The Print.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), January 25, 2000.

You might also try Fred Picker's "Zone VI Workshop"; published by Amphoto.

-- Rick Stiles (rstiles@ghg.net), January 25, 2000.

PS, can you also instruct me on cold fusion in 100 words or less, thans. :) sorry couldn't resist.

mark

-- mark lindsey (lindseygraves@msn.com), January 26, 2000.

buy the books... their available in soft cover versions which are quite cheap really.

-- Nigel Smith (nlandgl@eisa.net.au), January 26, 2000.

Go to Yahoo, work your way down the menus through photography subjects to the Zone System. It's free. Then get the books from the library. The Zone System is applicable in a limited way to 35mm roll film, but it's a good system to know.

-- Jeff Polaski (polaski@acm.org), January 26, 2000.

I think Adams' system grossly over complicates a very simple adage: "Expose for the shadows, develop for the highlights"

Which is much easier said than done if you don't use individual sheets of cut film.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), January 26, 2000.

Pete if "expose for shadows and develop for the highlights" was as simple as it got, then I guess you would be right!

-- mark lindsey (lindseygraves@msn.com), January 26, 2000.

Another Great Book is; "The New Zone System Manual" by White, Zakia, and Lorenz.

The zone system works well, but only if you do your own darkroom work, since most of the zone system takes place in the darkroom.

-- Paul A. Teseny (cintex@fast.net), January 26, 2000.

Also check out Beyond the Zone System by Phil Davis. It is in it's fourth edition now.

-- Fritz M. Brown (brownf@idhw.state.id.us), January 27, 2000.

Shawn,

In Adams' book 'The Negative' the actual proceedure for getting started in the zone system, the method for determining exposure index and developing times, occupies a grand total of 6 pages. This is a starting point. I do not understand what you mean by putting an 'artistic twist' on Adams' methods?

I think life is easier today. With modern films, developers, and papers, good and consistent results are easier to achieve. The key is consistency. Stick to a film and developer combination. Use it under different conditions. Keep good notes on how you metered, exposed, and developed each shot. Come up with your own system index and times.

I did this with TMY film in TMX developer. Now I am venturing into Delta 400 with Xtol. I plan to compare the two and select which to make mine.

If you find Adams hard to understand, there are lots of other resources that teach the Zone system. Do an internet search on the topic and you will see what I mean. In addition to Adams I have also used a Kodak publication "Advanced Black-and-White Photography". It offers another method to begin to understand system exposure index and developing times, and could also serve as a good beginning.

In My Humble Opinion -

-- Stephen Burns (sburns@oregontrail.net), January 28, 2000.

Don't need 'em...got VC paper...just make an exposure for middle gray...hey no problemo...

-- Kirk Kennelly (kirk@ioa.com), January 29, 2000.

scary Kirk, very scary.....

-- mark lindsey (lindseygraves@msn.com), February 01, 2000.

Not as scary as the science of zone system photography with roll film.

-- kirk kennelly (kirk@ioa.com), March 11, 2000.

If anyone can ever write a book about the zone system geared to artists who work out of the other side of their brain, (like me) Ill be the first in line. Connie

-- Connie Steidl (photoartc@prodigy.net), March 13, 2000.

Several posts above seem to suggest that "being artistic" is somehow opposed to the use and understanding of the Zone System. I couldn't agree less - anyone who has read "The Negative", which is admirably clear on technical points less well explained by others, will understand the the Zone System is rooted in an artist's visualisation, and that the technical aspects of photography are being controlled in order to serve this visualisation, not the other way round.

-- fw (finneganswake@altavista.net), March 13, 2000.

Everyone who takes his photography seriously should know the basics of the Zone System, but l think that we have come a long way since Ansel laid down the ground rules. No matter how many exposure systems are out there, a good hand held light meter (and knowledge to interpret what it is telling you) and some experience gained of your own cameras and film....no problemo!

-- Sid Jones (pipemajr@globalnet.co.uk), March 14, 2000.