Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/12/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Joe Codispoti wrote: > > Art, > > The Zone series by Angel Adams is too involved and complicated (definitely > not for dummies). Take a look at Barns & Noble and Amazon sites for "Zone > System". > You will find many books at goods prices. If you are not among the dummies, > there is one called "Zone System for the Confused Photographer". > > Joseph I agree that Adams was no Angel at simplification. His stuff in penetrable with some effort and his system itself is dated. Plenty of other people out there with clearer written more concise and better laid out books on the topic. With more modern zone systems. The chapters in my Arnold Gassan college text book put me on the right track. Adams has you exposing for zone II or I even. Nobody does that much anymore zone III is the significant shadow for a more workable system. And Adams says the fully textured shadow is II. Not any more it aint! And people now place fully textured highlights at zone VII. Photographers overwhelmed by reading Adams first often would place or having that tone fall on VIII. So you want to be going between III and VII a four stop fully textured range not II to XIII. III and VII is two stops over or under your reading you don't have to use the word "Zone" in your own head or even the numbers you just need to know the limitations of your materials. I've typed this before but did it better this time! Less white out! Mark Rabiner Handbook for Contemporary photography by Arnold Gassan The Negative by Ansel Adams both books are out as I type this so the BS factor is .003 But i don't try to place that anywhere with company coming!