The thing about learning that way, is that it is often more intuitive. Given that he was a trained musician, it makes sense that he would teach that way. It also makes reviewing sections easier and more productive. Given that style, it makes it easier to learn once you "see" the processes as such. Too often, photography books are all about "do this to get that," or a special method. The basis of what's being taught is glossed over for simplicity.
The Zone System does more than make exposure and values understandable, it gives us a common point of reference when discussing images, and makes understanding how shots were made easier. With only a couple bits of information a better understanding of a viewed image is obtained. You don't need to know f/64, 1/8 second, ISO 250, as that tells you nothing. Knowing that 250c/ft2 was placed on Z VI makes the image approachable and allows us to assess our own work more creatively. This knowledge helps us understand how we can use similar settings to "concretize" our own values to match our vision, without having to resort to a mythical magic formula every time.
The Zone System does more than make exposure and values understandable, it gives us a common point of reference when discussing images, and makes understanding how shots were made easier. With only a couple bits of information a better understanding of a viewed image is obtained. You don't need to know f/64, 1/8 second, ISO 250, as that tells you nothing. Knowing that 250c/ft2 was placed on Z VI makes the image approachable and allows us to assess our own work more creatively. This knowledge helps us understand how we can use similar settings to "concretize" our own values to match our vision, without having to resort to a mythical magic formula every time.
Last edited by a moderator: