My first time through "The Negative" was both confusing and illuminating. I agree ZS books are helpful and should be read, but they don't necessarily make sense the first time or two through.
My understand to the zone system is that it actually divide the entire range of brightness film can capture into different zones.
The paper's range is what matters.
Why the question about not giving +1 to spot metering a person's cheek? And how is "middle grey" important for that?
If the spot meter is calibrated correctly (baseline calibration = variation from metered reading as dictated by user testing; or filter factor compensation) it should not need any additional 'throw'.
but a bigger problem exists: it is not practical to use the Zone System with small format roll film.
"What Zone is mid grey ?, why does everyone these days think that they can learn everything off the internet without going to the expense of buying a book on the subject, and putting in the effort to read study and understand it.
There are plenty of modern books about The Zone System even as applied to digital photography just look on Amazon, and I find the idea of scholarship described as being "held hostage to books" ludicrous in the extreme.There are two questions there.
Part 1 - Because we can learn almost everything off the Internet, we are no longer held hostage to books.
Part 2 - Because the context Adams and others ZS gurus taught in no longer exists, except by choice.
Yes the basic principles still apply but the materials and tools have changed, the old books need an updating they don't seem to be getting.
Part 2 - Because the context Adams and others ZS gurus taught in no longer exists, except by choice.
Yes the basic principles still apply but the materials and tools have changed, the old books need an updating they don't seem to be getting.
I just hope that I never employ an electrician to rewire my house who learned his trade on the internet.I agree. The books still have the authority on the subject, but to get at the real crux of all the information contained requires an investment of time and thought that isn't really necessary today. There are updated books dealing with the zone system which appropriately tackle its creative application, in today's context of 'getting results'. But, it definitely is a choice to invest in them, when you could be learning a lot more about yourself, practically. It's dangerous to be competitive in photography, especially as a hobbyist, but while you're pouring over those books, just remember that somebody else is out making great pictures, simply with a good intuition about tonality. They've likely spent more time looking at and making photographs than reading manuals. If you're planning on becoming a teacher or leading printing workshops, reading and re-reading Adams' books is definitely advantageous.
I just hope that I never employ an electrician to rewire my house who learned his trade on the internet.
"The masses" thought National Socialism, and The Spice Girls were great , ever hear the expression "nobody ever went broke underestimating the tastes of the general public".It is not scholarship that it at issue.
The methods we get the info we study from and the availability of the teachers and peers we can learn from have radically changed.
Right or wrong, these changes are rapidly displacing books in both form and preference by the masses.
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