Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/26

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Grey Zone
From: Eric Welch <ewelch@ponyexpress.net>
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 21:35:30 -0500

At 01:45 AM 9/27/99 +0200, Anthony Atkielski wrote:
>Some of the references I've seen to the zone system (or should I capitalize it
>as the Zone System) talk about it almost as a religion.  I'm really 
>suspicion of
>anything that sounds like a religion.

Anthony,

Only hacks who don't have a vision for making photographs get hung up on 
the Zony religion. That doesn't mean the legitimate use of the Zone system 
isn't useful, or helpful. It's ONE way to understand sensitometry. It was 
designed to make it easy for photo students to grasp the principles of 
sensitometry easily and quickly so that they can get on with making photos.

There are other ways to grasp sensitometry, most of them more difficult to 
implement.

But the Zone System isn't something to pooh pooh too quickly. Just like 
learning scales will help you play the piano better, so the zone system can 
help you take the photographing process by the horns and make it do your 
bidding. Think about it. What makes great photography stand out on the 
museum wall. One of the things is being well-printed.

Proper use of tools in any art is imperative in making art at a high level. 
But just as playing scales will never get applause at Carnegie Hall, 
well-exposed boring pictures are still boring pictures.

Eric Welch
St. Joseph, MO

http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch

Consciousness: that annoying time between naps.