2.9.14 (Week 5)
Jasmine Yeoh, (0321190)
Introduction to Photography
Exercise 3a: Zone System
This lesson, Mr Vinod expressed how disappointed he was in our ePortfolios so he gave general feedback to all of us. He then recapped the previous topics (Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO) for those who might have had doubts. He then carried on into explaining the Zone System and talking about Ansel Adams to us and then at the end of the class, he gave us an exercise explaining Zone System.
Instructions:
Exercise 3a: Zone System
1. Capture three subjects: one light zones, middle zones and dark zones.
2. Take two images for each subject, one exposure according to the camera's light meter and the other according to the zone you believe the image falls under.
3. Ensure that the subjects you choose for each zone area (light, middle dark) have a good range of tones within the zone's area. As an example if you are capturing a subject that falls under the light zone and the subject is a white wall, it is only going to have 1 shade of the light zone, so avoid such subject matters, choose subjects that have a healthy tonal range within the white zone.
2. Take two images for each subject, one exposure according to the camera's light meter and the other according to the zone you believe the image falls under.
3. Ensure that the subjects you choose for each zone area (light, middle dark) have a good range of tones within the zone's area. As an example if you are capturing a subject that falls under the light zone and the subject is a white wall, it is only going to have 1 shade of the light zone, so avoid such subject matters, choose subjects that have a healthy tonal range within the white zone.
All pictures must be in black and white.
3a) 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.
1) White Zone
Zone 4
1/20 // f3.5
// ISO 200
Zone 7
1/10 // f3.5
// ISO 200
2) Grey Zone
Zone 4
1/60 // f3.5
// ISO 200
Zone 4
1/60 // f3.5
// ISO 200
3) Black Zone
Zone 3
1/4 // f3.5
// ISO 800
Zone 2
1/10 // f3.5
// ISO 800
Screenshot:
Feeback:
Jasmine, the exercise is accurate in that it fulfills the requirements of the criteria, but, the lighting for the light zone did not seem natural. The exercise is to be conducted in natural light settings (or a mix of both but primarily natural light - windows) -- In your reflections you mentioned taking pictures in many stops (shutter speed) because you could not decide. As I explained in the previous class, determine your ISO first, then your aperture (if not shooting a fast moving object) then your shutter. Once you determine the first two you camera would pretty much indicate the "right" exposure accordingly, and you then match it to the zone chart. Then determine where you think it should be in the zone chart and expose accordingly. Overall I think you fared well, although I can't help feel, that you have not grasped the "implementation part" fully.
Reflections:
Jasmine, the exercise is accurate in that it fulfills the requirements of the criteria, but, the lighting for the light zone did not seem natural. The exercise is to be conducted in natural light settings (or a mix of both but primarily natural light - windows) -- In your reflections you mentioned taking pictures in many stops (shutter speed) because you could not decide. As I explained in the previous class, determine your ISO first, then your aperture (if not shooting a fast moving object) then your shutter. Once you determine the first two you camera would pretty much indicate the "right" exposure accordingly, and you then match it to the zone chart. Then determine where you think it should be in the zone chart and expose accordingly. Overall I think you fared well, although I can't help feel, that you have not grasped the "implementation part" fully.
Reflections:
Experience
During class, if was really interesting seeing the pictures taken by Ansel Adams and how he took those pictures. It made me appreciate the cameras we are using now because during Ansel Adams' time, the cameras, tripod and other camera equipment was very big, bulky and heavy. It made me appreciate the pictures more as I looked at them after I knew that he had to carry all that equipment up mountains and not to mention, the use of film so you cant simply take and delete photos, as well as the absence of Photoshop so they had to burn the picture to make certain areas darker.
I liked doing the exercise and finding the subjects which had white, grey and black tones to take a picture of. However, while taking the actual pictures I found it difficult deciding which shutter speed to use which will affect how over exposed or under exposed the subject will be, so what I did was that I took many pictures at each stop and decided later when review my pictures.
Observation
By doing the exercise, it has shown me that even though there is a zone system chart, not everything can be put into a zone. I've also realised while taking the pictures for the "white zone" that once you over expose something, it is almost impossible for you to undo it, even through editing so it is crucial that you choose the right stop on your light meter.
Findings
I found out that you shouldn't always trust technology because typically, they've been programmed a certain way to do things by formula, so with that being said, camera light meters are dumb in a sense that they don't know what is being taken a picture of so they are assuming everything is middle grey when actually the world is full of tones. I've also discovered that by understanding the Zone System, the lighting in my pictures are much better compared to the pictures I've taken prior to the class.
I found out that you shouldn't always trust technology because typically, they've been programmed a certain way to do things by formula, so with that being said, camera light meters are dumb in a sense that they don't know what is being taken a picture of so they are assuming everything is middle grey when actually the world is full of tones. I've also discovered that by understanding the Zone System, the lighting in my pictures are much better compared to the pictures I've taken prior to the class.
