ZONE VI NEWSLETTERS

Peter Schrager · Dec 31, 2018

Been reading through about 20 or 30 of these newsletters. Funny I always learn something new here and there. Mostly Fred was a stickler for actually DOING SOMETHING TO FIND THE ANSWER OR RESULT. I was a true follower and really did commit myself to doing the required investigations about film and materials.
As we go into the new year I want to raise a glass for Fred Picker and love to hear others comments

juan · Jan 1, 2019

I have all of the newsletters and read them every few years. I always gain a new perspective on something. “Try it” and change only one thing at a time have been the two best mantras of my photographic life.

Peter Schrager · Jan 1, 2019

juan said:
I have all of the newsletters and read them every few years. I always gain a new perspective on something. “Try it” and change only one thing at a time have been the two best mantras of my photographic life.

Not enough photographers ever will...that's why they dont get results

Renato Tonelli · Jan 1, 2019

I enjoyed those Newsletters and made copious notes from them before I finally sold them. His book on the Zone system is the one I used to finally get a handle on the Zone system of exposure; he made it easy to understand. Printing also became more reliable for me.

So, yes! I raise my glass to Fred Picker!

rorye · Jan 1, 2019

What a coincidence Peter, I just got a copy of "Zone VI Workshop" yesterday. I sat up past midnight reading it, what a way to spend New Year's Eve...
So many questions that I didn't even know I had were answered. While my years of exposing and developing HP5 have worked out fine I decided I'm going to go through all the steps of calibration to have a deeper understanding of what I thought I knew.

Bob Carnie · Jan 1, 2019

I have all Freds newsletters and cherish them

Alan9940 · Jan 1, 2019

I will always consider Fred a friend. I bought his two books, at the time, "The Zone VI Workshop" and "The Fine Print" (still have 'em) in the late 70's when I decided that LF photography was what I wanted to pursue. I worked a second job until I had the money to buy the complete 4x5 outfit that Fred sold. In 1979, I finally met him by attending his workshop. It was a fabulous workshop and I returned home with many memories! Over the next few years, I worked on my own LF photography and my wife and I visited Vermont a couple times a year to take Fred to dinner, and for me to show him new work. The New England part of our great country had been ingrained into my soul at an early age, so a few years following that workshop we moved to central Vermont. I continued to work on my photography and visited Fred, occasionally, when I felt I had something to show off. He was a stern teacher and didn't have any patience for those who didn't want to do the work! I felt sad when I heard of his passing, but will always remember him fondly.

So, yeah, here's a raising of the glass to Fred...I miss you my friend.

Peter Schrager · Jan 1, 2019

rorye said:
What a coincidence Peter, I just got a copy of "Zone VI Workshop" yesterday. I sat up past midnight reading it, what a way to spend New Year's Eve...
So many questions that I didn't even know I had were answered. While my years of exposing and developing HP5 have worked out fine I decided I'm going to go through all the steps of calibration to have a deeper understanding of what I thought I knew.

Rory just ask me if you like!
Funny story that i can relate
One used to send the zone 1 negatives to fred so he could read them on the densitometer..speed test...then he would send them back. I have a hand written letter from fred telling me "you're all over the barn with these exposures "
Fred never minced words that's for sure.
The workshop I attended was THE eye opener for me. Made my first real negatives and print with full tones...was the best workshop ever
I can also highly recommend the darkroom book by Bruce Barnbaum..my take away was NEVER to make test strips..use a whole sheet of paper and make your best guess at exposure
Test strips dont tell you anything...try it and see

Alan9940 · Jan 1, 2019

Peter,

One of the best compliments I ever got from Fred was during the workshop in '79. I had taken an intimate image of a few rocks in a stream that ran near the Zone VI business (we had gone there to see Lil's gallery on the second floor of the barn.) When Fred saw the proper proof, he said, "That's a nice workshop photograph." Yep, Fred did not mince words.

To wit, I remember on one of my visits he sat quietly going through a stack of new images (all mounted, of course...don't hand Fred a ratty paper box with loose prints in it! When he was done, no words had been spoken and he had a stack of a couple of prints next to a MUCH larger stack of "other" prints. He pointed to the short stack and said, "You should keep doing this..." Hey, I was elated that he liked anything I showed him...I just had to figure out what I had been doing!

Peter Schrager · Jan 1, 2019

Alan9940 said:
Peter,

One of the best compliments I ever got from Fred was during the workshop in '79. I had taken an intimate image of a few rocks in a stream that ran near the Zone VI business (we had gone there to see Lil's gallery on the second floor of the barn.) When Fred saw the proper proof, he said, "That's a nice workshop photograph." Yep, Fred did not mince words.

To wit, I remember on one of my visits he sat quietly going through a stack of new images (all mounted, of course...don't hand Fred a ratty paper box with loose prints in it! When he was done, no words had been spoken and he had a stack of a couple of prints next to a MUCH larger stack of "other" prints. He pointed to the short stack and said, "You should keep doing this..." Hey, I was elated that he liked anything I showed him...I just had to figure out what I had been doing
Yup that sounds like fred. It's a shame those workshops ended. There was magic in the air
Vermont had it all and anyone who attended had to have come away with a whole new tool kit.

ZONE VI NEWSLETTERS

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