Film & Digital Techniques for Zone System Photography

128 Pages·2008·3.9 MB·English

by  Glenn Rand

FILM & DIGITAL
TECHNIQUES FOR
ZONE SYSTEM
PHOTOGRAPHY
DR. GLENN RAND
Amherst Media
®
PUBLISHER OF PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS
Copyright©2008byGlennRand.
Allphotographsbytheauthorunlessotherwisenoted.
FrontcoverphotographbyGlennRand.
BackcoverphotographbyChristopherBroughton.
Allrightsreserved.
Publishedby:
AmherstMedia,Inc.
P.O.Box586
Buffalo,N.Y.14226
Fax:[phone]
www.AmherstMedia.com
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AssistantEditor:BarbaraA.Lynch-Johnt
ISBN-13:978-1-58428-227-3
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2007942654
PrintedinKorea.
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NoticeofDisclaimer:Theinformationcontainedinthisbookisbasedontheauthor’sexperienceandopinions.The
authorandpublisherwillnotbeheldliablefortheuseormisuseoftheinformationinthisbook.
CONTENTS
AbouttheAuthor .........................5 ZoneVII(HighlightDetail) ..............34
AbouttheContributors .....................5 HighlightZones(ZonesVIII,IX,andX) ......35
ZoneVIII(PatternedHighlight) ..........35
INTRODUCTION ...........................7 ZoneIX(NearWhite) ..................36
TheConcept ............................8 ZoneX(White) .......................36
1.GETTINGSTARTED ......................9 4.ZONEPLACEMENT .....................39
VariablesandConstants ....................9 TheLawofReciprocity ...................39
ControllingVariables .....................10 TheCharacteristicCurve ..................40
ApertureandShutterSpeedCalibration .....10 ThePaperCurve ......................40
FilmSpeedTest .......................10 TheFilmCurve .......................40
PlacingtheZones ........................41
2.UNDERSTANDINGLIGHT ................19 AlternativeMeteringMethods ..............42
ColorandTonality .......................21 Dark-ToneMetering ...................43
“Seeing”theScene: HighlightDetailMetering ...............43
HumanVisionvs.Photography ...........23 AverageValueMetering .................44
QualitiesofLight ........................25
ReflectedLight .......................25 5.VISUALIZINGTHESYSTEM ..............45
Specularvs.DiffuseLight ................27 Flare .................................45
SweetLight ..........................28 CameraSystemFlare ...................45
ScenicFlare ..........................46
3.THEZONESCALE ......................29 TonalRelationships ......................48
DarkZones(0,I,II) .....................30 Expansion/Compaction ...................49
Zone0(Black) ........................30
ZoneI(NearBlack) ....................31 6.DEVELOPMENT ........................53
ZoneII(PatternedDarkness) .............31 ThePaper .............................53
DetailZones(ZonesIII,IV,V,VI,andVII) ...32 TheFilm ..............................56
ZoneIII(ShadowDetail) ................32 PlottingFilmCurves .....................56
ZoneIV(DarkMiddleGray) .............32 ExactnessofDevelopment .................64
ZoneV(MiddleGray) ..................32
ZoneVI(LightMiddleGray) .............34
CONTENTS 3
7.MAKINGPHOTOGRAPHS ................65 10.THEZONESYSTEMFOR
ZoneControlasanOverallConcept .........69 DIGITALPHOTOGRAPHY ................105
ZoneControlasaTonalSeparationConcept ...72 IssuesforDigitalPhotographyina
IncidentMetering .......................76 ZoneSystemApproach ................107
FieldCharts ............................76 DefiningthePartsofaDigitalZoneSystem ...112
Testing ...............................112
8.IN-CAMERACONTRASTCORRECTION .....79 DigitalZoneExposure ...................115
Filters .................................79 UsingtheDigitalSystem .................118
DodgingExposure .......................83 Post-CaptureProcessing..................119
Preexposure ............................85 Output ...............................122
ReciprocityFailureCompensation ...........87 HighDynamicRangeImaging .............124
UsingReciprocityFailureforExpansion .......89
CONCLUSION
9.ADVANCEDPRINTINGTECHNIQUES .......93 APersonalApproachtotheVisualLanguage ..125
GlobalControls .........................93
DevelopmentControl ....................93 Index ................................126
Multi-ContrastPrinting ...................97
LocalControl ..........................97
FilterDodgingandBurning ...............100
Flashing ..............................101
Bleaching .............................102
Intensifying/ToningNegatives .............104
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Glenn Rand has taught and administered in public national,theMinistryofEducationofFinland,andmany
education, community colleges, and universities since otherbusinessesandseveralcolleges.Aspartofhiscon-
1996.Since2001hehastaughtinthegraduateprogram sultingfortheEastmanKodakCompany,hetraveledand
atBrooksInstituteinSantaBarbara,CA,whereheserves lecturedonhowtomaximizeTmaxfilmswhentheywere
as acting graduate program chairman. In conjunction firstreleased.
with these academic roles and consulting he has devel- Black & white photographs by Glenn Rand are held
oped and reorganized several curricula for fine art pho- inthecollectionsofthirtypublicmuseumsintheUnited
tography,commercialphotography,digitalimaging,and States, Europe, and Japan and are widely exhibited. His
allied curricula. His teaching has included courses in photographs have also been published in editorial, illus-
lighting,aswellascommercialandfineartphotography. trative,andadvertisingfunctions.
He received his bachelors degree and master of arts Hehaspublishedandlecturedextensivelyaboutpho-
fromPurdueUniversity.Heearnedadoctoratefromthe tography and digital imaging, covering topics ranging
UniversityofCincinnati,centeringonthepsychologyof from commercial aesthetics to the technical fine points
educational spaces, and did post-doctoral research as a oflighting.Heistheauthorofnumerousbooksandcon-
visiting scholar at the University of Michigan. Since the tributes regularly to various periodicals, such as Range-
early 1980s, his extra-academic research has included findermagazine,ofwhichheisacontributingeditor.
computer-basedimaging.
Asaconsultant,Rand’sclientshaveincludedtheFord
Motor Company, Photo Marketing Association Inter-
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS
CHRISTOPHER BROUGHTON—Christopher Broughton known photographers, such as John Sexton, through
earnedhisBSandMSinprofessionalphotographyfrom short courses and workshops. David works in Sacra-
Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, CA, where he served mento, CA, where he exhibits and has his work pub-
as Director of Laboratory Operations while completing lished. While transitioning to digital photography,
his Masters of Science degree. Prior to becoming a full- David’s photographic experiences are heavily weighted
time faculty member at the Brooks Institute in 1996, withhisblack&whitephotography.
Broughton also served as faculty for University of Pitts-
burgh’s“SemesteratSea”program.Hehasauthoredar- ROBERTSMITH—RobertSmith(BA,MS)isalong-time
ticles in Petersen’s Photographic, Outdoor Photographer, facultymemberatBrooksInstituteinSantaBarbara,CA,
PC Photo, and Studio Photography & Design Magazines, whotaughtfulltimeformorethantwentyyearsandre-
andhasbeenafeaturedlecturerforHasselbladUSA,and mains a part-time faculty member. Before coming to
Eastman Kodak. Broughton’s black & white photogra- Brooks,Smith’scareerincludedcelebrityportraitureand
phyisexhibitedandrepresentedbyArtMattersinLong advertisingphotography.Hispersonalworkseekstocap-
Beach, CA; Robin Fold of The Golden Orb, CA; The turetheplayoflightanddesignonthenaturallandscape,
GriffinGalleryinVeniceBeach,CA;andtheSilverLight and in the unexpected abstraction found in abandoned,
GalleryinCarmel,CA. man-madeobjects.Hisphotographsareincludedinpri-
vate,corporate,andmuseumcollections,andexhibitedin
DAVIDRUDERMAN—DavidRudermanhasbeenmaking manyone-manandgroupexhibitions.
photographs for many years and has studied with well-
5
ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

INTRODUCTION
As photographers, we see the effects of light falling on our subjects and are
drawn to create images so we can share the visual excitement. However, in
order to best communicate our vision to viewers of our photographs, we
mustrelyonsometoolsandprocessesthatallowustoeffectivelyconveyour
impressions.TheZoneSystemisoneofthesetools.Itallowsustoprecisely
recordourvisualimpressionoftheworldandtellsomeoneelsewhatwesaw
in the most beautiful of visual languages: the language of black & white
Facingpage—PhotobyGlennRand.
Below—PhotobyChristopherBroughton. photography.
THECONCEPT
TheZoneSystemlooksatthephotographicprocesswiththefinishedprod-
uct in mind. Putting consideration of the print at the beginning of the cre-
ativeprocessmeansthattheendoftheprocessisasimportantasfindingthe
subjectforthephotograph.Thisideaisknownasprevisualization.
Topresentviewers witha printthatmatches our creative vision,we must
haveaclearideaofthewaythatlightaffectsthesceneandthewaythevisual
information in the scene will be recorded on the negative. We must be able THEZONESYSTEMLOOKSATTHE
tocontrolexposuretoensurethewidestrangeoftones,fromblacktowhite
PHOTOGRAPHICPROCESSWITHTHE
(measured in zones in this system) and capture detail within all important
FINISHEDPRODUCTINMIND.
areasofthescene.Whenwecapturethesequalitiesonthenegative,wemust
maximizethedevelopmentprocesstoensurethatwecanprintanimagethat
matchesourcreativevision.
ThoughtheZoneSystemmayseemcomplicated,followingthestepsthe
methodrequireswillallowyoutobecomeconsistentinthewayyouworkand
leadtobetterresults.Asyoubecomemoreandmoreconsistent,youbecome
free to say more with your photographs. When consistency replaces “happy
accidents,”yourvisionwillemerge.
ThoughusingtheZoneSystemcanensurethattheimageyouproduceis
technically excellent, following the approach alone does not make a picture
art.Afterall,whatdoesitmatterhowelegantlyyouspeakifyouhavenoth-
ingtosay?Sowhilethemainemphasisofthisbookisthetechnicalapproach
to making excellent black & white photographs, it will be your vision and
interpretation of the world around you and how you communicate this
throughblack&whitephotographythatdeterminesyoursuccessasanartist.
PhotobyDavidRuderman.
CHAPTER ONE
GETTING STARTED
UsingtheZoneSystemrequiresascientificapproachtocreatingart.Topro-
duce images that match our creative vision, we must fully understand and
anticipate the way the existing light affects the scene, how to best capture
detail,andhowtorefinethedevelopmentprocesssothatthefinalprintsings.
WhenphotographersmasterthestepsoutlinedintheZoneSystem,theycan
easily predict (previsualize) the outcome of their prints. With the technical
successoftheimageassured,wehavemorementalenergythatcanbeputto-
wardseeingandcomposingourphotographs.
VARIABLESANDCONSTANTS
Over five-thousand variables (or, more specifically, combinations of factors)
are atplay whencreatingimages—notincludingthe effects of filtrationand
advancedprintingtechniques.Thelightinthescene,theexposure,thefilm
typeandISO,theshutterspeedsandaperture,thevariablesatplayindevel-
oping the film, and the options we are faced with in printing our images all
affecttheoutcomeofourimages.
Withsomuchvariability,theoddsthatwewillnotachieveourgoalincon-
veyingourartisticvisionarehigh.Forthisreason,oneofthemostimportant
USINGTHEZONESYSTEM
taskswemustundertakewhenbeginningtousetheZoneSystemistocon-
REQUIRESASCIENTIFICAPPROACH
trolandeliminatesomeofthevariablesandtheiroveralleffectonourwork.
TOCREATINGART. Thisprocessofstandardizationisthekeytoachievinggoodresults.Without
it,youcannotpredicttheoutcomeofyourefforts.
Ofthemanyvariables,theonlyfactorthatliesoutsideourcontrol(unless
we’re working in the studio) is the light. For this reason, it is considered an
independentvariable—meaningwecan’tcontrolhowitchanges.Theother
aspects of the photographic process (development and printing), however,
areeitherdependentvariables(wecancontrolhowtheychange)orconstants
(theydon’tchange).
Bycontrollingthedependentvariablesinthephotographicsystem,wecan
compensatefortheeffectoftheconstantsandtheindependentvariables.
GETTINGSTARTED 9
CONTROLLINGVARIABLES Above—PhotobyDavidRuderman.
Aperture and Shutter Speed Calibration. Shutter speed calibration is the Facingpage—PhotobyRobertSmith.
first step in standardizing our photographic process. If a spring mechanism
creates the shutter speeds, the speeds may vary based on the strength, age,
and reliability of the spring—and this introduces an unwanted variable into
ourimaging.Useashutterspeedtesterorgotoacamerarepairshoptohave
thelenstested.Unlesstheshutterspeedsarefaroutofline(morethanafac-
torof1/ stop),theknownvariationcanbeaddedintotheexposurecalcula-
3
tion. If there is a significant or inconsistent difference between the marked
andactualspeeds,thelensorshuttersystemshouldberepaired.
The aperture settings on most cameras click into position to ensure that
the manufacturer’s setting is maintained. If this is “sloppy,” have your lens SHUTTERSPEEDCALIBRATIONIS
checkedatacamerarepairshop.
THEFIRSTSTEPINSTANDARDIZING
Film Speed Test. Another important step in preparing to use the Zone
OURPHOTOGRAPHICPROCESS.
Systemisthefilmspeedtest.Conductingthetestwillallowyoutoensurethat
the ISO setting on your camera is matched to the published ISO rating of
yourselectedfilm.Thetestingprocessinvolvesafewsimplesteps:
Metering.Takingalightmeterreadingallowsustounderstandthewaythe
light in our scene will affect our exposure. It is a critical step in creating a
10 FILM&DIGITALTECHNIQUESFORZONESYSTEMPHOTOGRAPHY