June 2009 Newsletter (Simplify Zone System)
Hello Raw Shooters
Another busy season has started for all of us with grad and prom photos, and weddings. We invite you to experience the peace of mind that comes when your post processing jobs are ready on time with our quality editing services.The topic for this month’s tip came about when I re-read your emails and comments. Many of you are interested in understanding the Zone System for creating the right exposure. Applying the Zone system helps us capture more details in our subject.
Are you one of many photographers who think the Zone system is only for developing negatives and prints? In this series of articles I am going to show you how to use the Zone system for exposure. When using the Exposure compensation in our cameras the Zone System helps us calculate exactly how many stops we need to compensate. For additional reading there are several books about Zone System. The Confused Photographer's Guide to Photographic Exposure and the Simplified Zone System by Bahman Farzad is a good source and explains the Zone system very efficiently.
So let’s get to Part one of this topic and thanks to our many subscribers for inspiring it!
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Exposure compensation and Zone System
(Part 1)
The zone system was invented by Ansel Adams, one of the most famous photographers of all time. He was a master of technique, and had an eye for light that few are blessed with.
In brief, the zone system is made up of three basic components, all of which were very important to Ansel Adams: visualization, exposure control, and contrast control.
Visualization is not really a question of technique. It is a method used to picture the finished photograph before it is taken, and is useful for everybody, regardless of whether they are using the zone system or not. In Visualization you look at your subject and decide what part of the subject is your main point of picture and then try to capture as much details as possible for that part. I will explain it later with some examples.
Exposure control is key, partly because it is important to learn how your own photographic equipment works, and partly because you want to choose a shutter speed, ISO, and aperture that will provide an image with as much detail as possible. It is with exposure that you control the reproduction of shadows.
Contrast is controlled by camera’s processor or post processing. It is the contrast control that determines how white the picture's light areas will become in the finished photograph. You should learn to use a suitable ICC profile and paper that will give you the contrast you are looking for.
Brightness levels
It is a common mistake to think that you only take one exposure each time you press the shutter button. You take an exposure with a specific aperture and at a specific speed. However, another thing that affects the exposure is the reflected light from the object you are photographing, and this can vary greatly for the same object. The darkest details reflect less light than illuminated white details. Normally you have a number of different exposures every time you take a photograph. The object has many different levels of brightness, sometimes ranging from black in the shade to white in the sun. The range of exposure values is a result of variations in both the incident light (sun and shade) and the ways the object's various surfaces reflect light.
Measuring the range of the contrast in a picture is easy. It is best to measure the contrast according to the number of exposure stops from the darkest part of the picture to the lightest. One exposure stop is the equivalent of a halving or doubling of brightness. From 1/125 to 1/250 second is one exposure stop. From f5.6 to f8 is also one exposure stop. By first pointing the light meter at the darkest part of the picture and then the lightest, you can calculate the number of exposure stops between them. Normally there are seven stops between shaded black and illuminated white, but it varies depending on how harsh the incident light is. Direct sunlight on a clear day will give a very wide range of contrast, while a gray, hazy day will give a low contrast with few exposure stops between black and white. Normally, the contrast range varies between five and nine stops.
Seven stop contrast range, plus all black and all white
Five stop contrast range, plus all black and all white
Two controls
What you have here are two controls, one for the darkest areas and one for the lightest. Once you have accepted this way of thinking, things become much easier. An object is made up of different tones ranging from black to white. To produce pictures with a full tonal scale you need to know how to control all the tones. To do that, all you need to do is to adjust the darkest and the lightest parts of the image. All other tones land between these two extremes, and will automatically fall into the right places. You control the darkest tones by learning how your camera reacts to exposure (by calibrating your equipment) and by then choosing an exposure that will ensure that the darkest tones will appear on the image (by exposing in the correct zone). You can use the Histogram in your camera to make sure that your exposure is within the latitude of your camera’s sensor.
In July I’ll continue this important topic with Part 2. I’ll explain Dynamic Range and Tonal Range plus give you some examples which will demonstrate why it’s important to visualize the scene before clicking the shutter.
Have a great month!
That’s all for this month. See you in July with part II of this exciting tip.
Ted and Omnilargess Team
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