Fred Picker's Zone VI Newsletters

hal9000 · May 13, 2008

I know that Fred Picker's newsletters were somewhat controversial but I really like his writing style and have learned many a good tip from his books and videos.
I have seen the newsletters occasionally on that auction site but for exorbinant prices. I want to read them, not collect them. I asked Calumet but they replied that they don't have any back issues left. So I am wondering if anyone knows of a PDF version or if someone with a set of these gems could provide one?
Thanks,
Hal

Jeremy · May 13, 2008

I have issues 1 - 69 sitting on my desk I was planning on digitizing so that I could make them text searchable for research. Does anyone know if Picker sold the copyrights to the newsletters to Calumet along with the rest of the Zone VI items or is there someone I could ask about this other than Calumet? If I can get approval from the copyright holder I will put them up online for free.

hal9000 · May 13, 2008

Jeremy, I will ask the guy at Calumet who told me they don't have them anymore. I am fairly certain that Fred Picker sold the rights to them. I'll post the answer here.

darekj · May 13, 2008

I have all the issues in .PDF... very good quality. But as Jeremy mentioned... copyrights is something we need to be careful about. Is there any way we can check in to it?

resummerfield · May 13, 2008

I thought I had the complete set, which went to number 79. Later, somewhere, I heard there were more issues. Does anyone know how many issues there are?

darekj · May 13, 2008

I just checked my copy, the last one is #83 dated in 1995. In the very last paragraph, Fred is saying that this is the last copy of his newsletters.

Curt · May 13, 2008

I have almost all of them, they are the best damm newletters period.

JHannon · May 13, 2008

I bought a set a while back with 3 or 4 missing issues... Even bought the small binders to fit at Staples. I have read them many times and agree, they are the finest newsletters. Fred Picker's printing video is also outstanding.

Ken Nadvornick · May 13, 2008

darekj said:
I just checked my copy, the last one is #83 dated in 1995. In the very last paragraph, Fred is saying that this is the last copy of his newsletters.

I have the full and complete set, as an original subscriber. Got 'em more-or-less one per month over the years. The above mentioned issue is indeed the final one. There was a short-lived followup newsletter launched by Calumet, but it didn't last. I have all of those as well.

I even have Fred's final going-out-of-business newsletter supplement for the remaining stock of his cameras. Too bad I was a poor student at the time, or I might have upgraded. But I do still have my early, early Zone VI (Wista DXII) field camera. This was way before the Ron Wisner chapter was written.

Ken

Jeremy · May 13, 2008

If Calumet does have the copyright and are willing to allow the non-commercial rights to the newsletters I can host them through my university's digital library where they will be OCR'd (optical character recognition for those who don't know) which will allow them to be fully text searchable and hosted in a manner much more user-friendly than the .pdf.

Marv · May 13, 2008

#24, April 1980. Even 28 years later the information and technique are worth studying. Brash, bordering on arrogant and full of himself Fred still managed to convey useful information in a no frills way that helped many a tyro on the path they now tread.

Anybody that actually set their tripod and camera up 50 times before they went out the first time benefited enormously from the exercise and if you didn't learn "different is not the same" and "Try It", you just weren't listening!

A searchable file would be pretty neat to have. I'll be curious to see where this goes.

hal9000 · May 14, 2008

I've asked Paul Hashimoto at Calumet and I also sent a mail to the address listed at fredpicker.com in the hopes that Andy Simonds (Fred's nephew) will still receive it. I will post any answers to the copyright question here. Jeremy, hosting the OCR'd newsletters at the university would be an excellent solution.

Richard T Ritter · May 14, 2008

Calumet owns the rights. Good luck.
Best thing to do is borrow someones set.

Bob Carnie · May 14, 2008

I have the complete set as well and waited patiently each month for them.
I have never let them out of my sight.
Those newsletters were the best thing going at the time, and actually this site APUG reminds me very much of them.

hal9000 · May 14, 2008

I received a reply from Paul Hashimoto from Calumet, he said I should direct the copyright request with a formal letter to the CEO of Calumet, Mr. David Drew. I will do so and post the response here if and when I receive one.

panastasia · May 15, 2008

darekj said:
I just checked my copy, the last one is #83 dated in 1995. In the very last paragraph, Fred is saying that this is the last copy of his newsletters.

I have newsletters #1 thru #82 in two Zone VI 3-ring binders, my subscription ran out @ #82, I missed the last issue. What did I miss in terms of technical info or technique - or was #83 just a farewell note to subscribers?

Michel Hardy-Vallée · May 15, 2008

Bob Carnie said:
Those newsletters were the best thing going at the time, and actually this site APUG reminds me very much of them.

I've had the same uncanny experience last summer when I read them all. My dad collected them since day 1 until the final one where he discusses "electronic photography."

The interesting thing for me was to read them after having encountered APUG and the other photo forums. So much of what is discussed and argued here and on other forums has its equivalent in Picker's newsletter. Reading the newsletter was like reading a part of the latent content of APUG's collective mind.

There are also interesting historical tidbits, like a letter from a then "young and upcoming photographer" called Brooks Jensen...

panastasia · May 15, 2008

http://www.jbhphoto.com/articles/znindex.htm is an online index of newsletter articles (strangely, #82 is not listed)

mmcclellan · May 16, 2008

I subscribed to them at the time and have read and re-read them many times, from beginning to end. Besides being a delightful writer, Fred was a very good teacher and his techniques, tips, and war stories are outstanding! I will continue to re-read them and have even referenced a number of them that I keep going back to on toning, fixing, and other areas of concern.

His videos are also superb. I strongly recommend getting all his vids, newsletters, his book on the Zone System, and even his photo books if you can find them. They're well worth the investment and the best "photo course" out there as far as I'm concerned.

They do come up on eBay from time to time and usually for decent prices, considering how much info you're getting. They really are a superb reference source and will never be outdated.

dyphototeacher · May 25, 2008

I just acquired an almost full set of Zone VI newsletters. I seem to be missing issues Number 49 and Number 78.
Does any one have extras of these to sell, or could someone make me a copy? (I'll gladly cover copying and postage!)

I have extras copies of Issues 2, 3, 50, and 73 if anyone is interested.

Changeling1 · May 25, 2008

There was a person selling a CD containing the newsletters on the auction site. When Calumet found out, they sent their lawyers after the seller and the item quickly vanished from the site. Yes, Calumet does own the copyright to the newsletters.

pentaxuser · May 25, 2008

Maybe it's just my commercial naivety but if Calumet have the copyright but seem to have no intention of making commercial use of it why prevent a free exchange of useful info. If there's a demand for the Picker Newsletters then you'd expect Calumet to try and cash-in on it and if there isn't, then why stop the dissemination of information.

I have to laugh at such expressions as "free enterprise", "laissez faire economics" the "hidden hand", " a free society" etc with reference to the capiltalist system when what we are talking about is the objective of that great old game called "Monopoly"

pentaxuser

dancqu · May 25, 2008

I am bolstered by this dictum by Fred Picker:
"No running water, No agitation! Archival washing
requires time, clean water, and Print separation."

I've practiced the method for years but have
only recently read of and enjoyed Fred's
endorsement. Dan

hal9000 · May 27, 2008

I just received a reply from David Drew, they are considering the matter and will get back to me soon. His note sounds encouraging!

Best regards,
Hal

pentaxuser · May 27, 2008

hal9000 said:
I just received a reply from David Drew, they are considering the matter and will get back to me soon. His note sounds encouraging!

Best regards,
Hal

Well done and that applies whether you are successful or not in the end. Thanks

pentaxuser

Fred Picker's Zone VI Newsletters

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