Photography: week 5

06 September 2013 (Week 5)
Michelle Ngu Wei Tze (0316296)
Introduction to Photography
Assignment 3a The Zone System

LECTURE

1. Exposure meters are dumb.

2. The Zone System chart:

3. Ansel Adams developed the Zone system. His technique was to carefully study a scene, visualize the final print, then determine the correspondence between portions of the scene and tones in the print. He would then meter, expose the image.

4. The Zone System is to expose film/ccd for optimum image quality— to make sure all the critical information is present.

5. Tones in scenes and prints are divided into nine zones, numbered 1 through 9 from dark to light.

Zone 5 is, by definition, subjective middle gray. One zone difference is one f stop difference.

6. Zone System description:

7. Application of Zones:

Instructions - 3a The Zone System

Light, Middle & Dark Tones (5%)

Marking Criteria: The student must show evidence of using the Zone System technique to capture an ‘accurate exposure’ of a subject with light tones, a subject with middle tones and a subject with dark tones. An accurate exposure entails ‘visible tonal values and details’ in all three tonal areas.

Exercise 3a - The Zone System

Choose 3 different subject matters of varying tones.

Tint, Tone & Shade

Photograph:

An Image that has different shades of White

An Image that has varying shades of grey (middle tones)

An Image that has varying shade within a dark area.

Choose one scene for each category (Tint / Tone / Shade) and capture them at what the camera says is the right exposure and another similar scene at what you think should be the appropriate exposure.