The Practical Zone System for Film and Digital Photography: Classic Tool, Universal Applications

374 Pages·2012·13.17 MB·English

by  Chris Johnson

THE PRACTICAL
Zone System
for Film and Digital Photography
This page intentionally left blank
THE PRACTICAL
Zone System
for Film and Digital Photography
Fifth Edition
Classic Tool, Universal Applications
CHRIS JOHNSON
Amsterdam • Boston • Heidelberg • London
New York • Oxford • Paris • San Diego
San Francisco • Singapore • Sydney • Tokyo
Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier
Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier
225 Wyman Street, Waltham, MA 02451, USA
The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1GB, UK
© 2012 Chris Johnson. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Cover design courtesy of Tom Ingalls.
Interior illustrations designed by Connal Hughes of Cabbage Designs.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publisher. Details on how to seek permission, further information about the
Publisher's permissions policies and our arrangements with organizations such as the Copyright Clearance
Center and the Copyright Licensing Agency, can be found at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions.
This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher
(other than as may be noted herein).
Notices
Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our
understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary.
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using
any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods
they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a
professional responsibility.
To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any liability
for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or
from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Application submitted
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-0-240-81702-6
For information on all Focal Press publications
visit our website at www.elsevierdirect.com
11 12 13 14 15 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in China
Contents
Preface to the Fifth Edition xi
Acknowledgements xv
Why and How to Read this Book xvii
Chapter 1 “Will It Come Out?” 1
Introduction 1
WhatexactlyistheZoneSystem? 2
HowdoestheZoneSystemApplytoDigitalPhotography? 3
WhyisPhotographicTechniqueSoImportant? 3
IftheZoneSystemisSoImportant,HowwereGoodPhotographs
Takenwithoutit? 4
Isn’ttheZoneSystemUsefulOnlywithViewCameras? 4
DoIneedaSpotMetertoUsetheZoneSystem? 4
CameraManufacturersGivetheImpressionthatTakingGoodPicturescanbe
SimpleandAutomatic.IstheZoneSystemOutdated? 5
HowdoestheZoneSystemApplytotheUseofanElectronicFlash? 5
CantheZoneSystembeUsedwithColorFilm? 5
Chapter 2 Print Quality, Negative Contrast, and Dynamic Range 7
SubjectContrastandPhotographicPapers:ABitofHistory 8
ThePhotographicProcrusteanBeds 8
WorkingwithPaperGrades 9
WorkingwithProblemNegatives 9
Summary 13
Chapter 3 The Control of Negative Contrast 15
ExposefortheShadows 15
DevelopfortheHighlights 15
NormalDevelopment 18
Summary 21
Chapter 4 The Zone 22
PrintValues 23
TextureandDetail 25
TheZones 26
|
vi  Contents
Previsualization 31
MeasuringZones 34
Summary 36
Chapter 5 Exposure 38
LightMeasurement 40
ExposureRecommendations 41
TheMeter’sDilemma 42
Exercise:HowLightMetersReallyWork 45
ExposureDetailed 48
PlaceandFall 48
WithHandheldMeters 49
WithIn-CameraMeters 49
Summary 52
Chapter 6 Development 54
MeasuringSubjectContrastwithIn-CameraMeters 59
NormalPlusDevelopment 65
NormalMinusDevelopment 69
Chapter 7 An Overview of the Zone System 73
ExposefortheShadowsandDevelopfortheHighlights 77
ZoneSystemFrequentlyAskedQuestions 80
Chapter 8 Zone System Testing: Method 1 89
Introduction 89
ChoosingaPhotographicPaper 90
TheUseofEquivalentISO(ASA)Numbers 91
ZoneSystemTesting:Method1 94
RollFilm 103
SheetFilm 103
StandardPrintingTimeTest 103
ExpansionandContractionDevelopmentTimes 107
Chapter 9 Zone System Testing: Method 2 109
AbouttheDevelopmentTimeCharts 111
DevelopmentTimeCharts 113
FilmandDeveloper:QuestionsandAnswers 118
Chapter 10 The Zone System and Digital Photography 120
Introduction 120
AWordaboutStructureandUnderstanding 122
BasicAssumptions 123
DigitalandFilmPhotography 124
|
Contents  vii
OtherDigitalPrintingConsiderationsandAlternatives 130
Pixels:Size,Resolution,BitDepth,andQuality 131
OptimizingDigitalImageResolution 137
TheScanningProcess 141
FileSizeCalculator 145
Guidelines 146
BitDepthandDigitalExposure 147
TheZoneSystemofDigitalExposure 158
ASummaryofDigitalExposureEffects 167
TheZoneSystemandDigitalContrastControl 168
RawConverterChoices 174
AnIntroductiontoAdobeCameraRawUtility 174
SummaryofDigitalPhotographyCardinalRules 191
Chapter 11 The Zone System and Studio Photography 193
AbouttheCoverImage 193
Introduction 193
DigitalWorkflowandthePoweroftheZoneSystem 195
TheLightingStudioasaCreativeEnvironment 196
UnderstandingFlashMeters 196
TheCreativeSketchingProcessintheStudio 201
StudioExposureMethods:FlashSpotandIncidentMeters 202
UnderstandingtheLightingStudioZoneChart 204
IncidentMetersNeverLie 206
TheMasterworkRe-creationProcess 207
SomeCommentsRegardingEquipmentandWorkflowEquipment 209
StepsintheProcess 209
Summaryofpreceedingsteps 213
TheShootingProcess 215
Appendix A Color Management, Profiles, and Color Spaces 219
Profiles 219
ColorSpaces 222
ColorManagingYourSystem 226
TheRIPAlternative 235
Appendix B A Primer on Studio Lighting Photography 236
ControllingStrobeBrightnessintheStudio 236
TheVisualQualitiesofStudio-litSubjects 239
Appendix C What Is a Pixel? 249
PixelSize 249
ScreenPixels 249
|
viii  Contents
DigitalImageSensorPixels 249
Scanners 250
Printers 250
Appendix D Bit Depth 251
Appendix E Exposure and the Digital Linear Effect 253
LinearversusNonlinear 253
Nonlinearity,Zones,andHumanVision 254
TheDigitalLinearEffect 255
Appendix F Digital Light Meters and the Zone System 259
DigitalLightMeterSettings 260
TheZoneSystemandDigitalMeters 261
Previsualization,Placement,andContrastMeasurement 262
ExposureDetermination 263
Appendix G A Primer on Basic Film Photography 267
PhotographicEmulsions 267
TheNegative 268
ThePrint 268
Processing 269
ASA 272
PaperGrades 273
TheCamera 274
TheShutter 277
Exposure 277
Appendix H Films, Developers, and Processing 280
TheBasics 281
DeveloperNotes 282
FilmNotes 284
ProcessingNotes 285
Appendix I The Practical Zone System Film and Developer
Testing Method 287
TheTestingProcess 287
Appendix J Film and Developer Commentary by Iris Davis 292
Appendix K Alternative Methods for Extreme
Expansion and Contraction Development 294
Expansion 294
Contraction 294
|
Contents  ix
Appendix L Contrast Control with Paper Grades 296
Appendix M Developer Dilution 298
Appendix N Compensating Developers 299
CompensatingFormulas 299
KodakD-23 299
Two-BathCompensatingFormula 300
WaterBathDevelopment 300
Appendix O Inspection Development 302
Appendix P Condenser and Diffusion Enlargers 303
Appendix Q ASA/ISO Numbers 305
Appendix R Filter Factors, the Reciprocity Effect, and Bellows
Extension Factors 306
FilterFactors 306
TheReciprocityEffect 306
BellowsExtensionFactors 307
Appendix S A Compensation Method for Inaccurate Meters 308
Appendix T Zone System Metering Form 309
UsingtheZoneSystemwithIn-CameraMeters 309
Appendix U Exposure Record and Checklist for Zone System Testing 312
Materials 314
MaterialsforSheetFilm 314
Steps 314
RollFilm(AlternativeA) 315
SheetFilm(AlternativeB) 315
Appendix V Examples: Zone System Applications 316
ChristineAlicino 316
DavidBayles 319
DanBurkholder 321
JudyDater 323
ChrisJohnson 325
RobertBruceLanghamIII 327
Appendix W Suggested Reading 329
FilmPhotography 329
BasicPhotographyTechnique 329