VPPA is a state affiliate of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) Virginia Professional Photographers Association
Northern District Newsletter The Zone System… A Brief Introduction
Ansel Adams and Fred Archer devised the Zone System in 1940 to help their students understand exposure and control contrast in their black and white negatives. With a little modification, the zone system works just as well with digital photographs today.
November 2013
Don Aittama The Zone System… The Mystery Unraveled See pages 8 and 9 for some of Don’s PPA merit & loan images.
e foundation of the zone system centers on eleven zones numbered zero through ten. Each zone is one full stop apart. Zone 5 represents a middle tone. Anything one stop darker is Zone 4, two stops darker is Zone 3, and so on. Anything one stop lighter is Zone 6, two stops lighter is Zone 7, etc. Zones 3 and 7 represent the limits of unprocessed files for most digital cameras. Zone 2 is two dark to show detail. Zone 8 is too bright to show good detail; it’s washed out. So Zones 3 and 7 are the lower and upper limits of retaining detail and texture. Minor White
Thinking in terms of zones makes it easier to
understand how the contrast of a scene relates to the
dynamic range of your camera. This allows you to make informed decisions about exposure, visualize how you want the final image to look, and anticipate how you might process this image.
Sunday, November 17 2:00 - 3:30
311 Gay St. (2nd floor above Tulas) Washington, Virginia
Greetings! I’m very much looking forward to being the Northern District Governor this year! Kathy, Jim, Mike and I have a lot of exciting plans for you in this coming year. Make sure you stay connected by reading the newsletters and visiting our Facebook Page. https://www.facebook.com/groups/280048062015909/
To start, mark your calendars for the following two dates: November 17th and December 8th! On Sunday, November 17th, we will be meeting again in “Little” Washington at 2:00 to learn about the Zone System from Don Aittama! Come earlier and enjoy lunch at Tulas. In addition, we’ll be celebrating the holiday season on Sunday, December 8th! We’ll have our annual get-together at a restaurant that will be centrally located for all of us. More details will be forthcoming, so keep posted. I’d like to thank Gordon Kreplin for the inspiring program “Walk Into the Light” that he presented to our district in October. e gorgeous fall day in “Little” Washington allowed us the ability to be outside and observe Gordon’s techniques of using ambient and fill light combined. I know all who attended came away with a few gems that they will incorporate into their shoots. One of the things that stuck with me from Gordon’s program was his idea that beauty surrounds us at all times. It’s up to us as photographers to notice that beauty and use our craft to present it for others to see and admire. All of us could benefit from taking the time to notice the beauty surrounding us. And this is the season to do it! I know it’s a busy time for us in our businesses with the holidays quickly approaching—we are in super fast mode, trying to get it all done and meet deadlines. But remember to stop, if only for a few minutes each day and notice the beauty around you… your family, the laughter of your children, the decorations of the seasons, all things in nature and just about anything else that surrounds you. ere is beauty in all things, take the time to find it! And if you happen to have your camera, go ahead and capture it. Otherwise, just enjoy it as a wonderful memory. Happy anksgiving to all! Jeanette
“It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera... they are made with the eye, heart and head.” ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson
Milky Way at Ghost Ranch by Jeanette Burkle
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Northern District Officers
…from the editor
Governor Jeanette Burkle, FP jeanette@galiephotography.com Lt. Governor Kathy Kupka, FP kathykupka@aol.com Secretary Mike Patch kathykupka@aol.com Treasurer / Newsletter Editor Jim Sanders, AFP jimlondonsanders@mac.com
“Life is your art. An open, aware heart is your camera. A oneness with your world is your film. Your bright eyes and easy smile is your museum.” Ansel Adams
District Programs—It’s More Than Numbers e Gordon Kreplin workshop in “Little” Washington was a great day of learning with a number of district members and guests present. As newsletter editor for four years now (Yes, this would be a yikes!), promoting district programs has been a top priority. So, during Gordon’s workshop; I’m thinking…wow… this is nice. Followed by… what can we do to keep attendance like this going for future programs. To continue this line of thought, I have to talk about the day following the program. Gordon was staying at my home during his stay. While in Virginia, he wanted to photograph some waterfalls. Joe Parker suggested that we try White Oak Canyon near Old Rag Mountain. So Tuesday morning, Gordon, Don Aittama, and myself traveled to Madison County to begin our hike to the lower falls. So what does this have to do with district program attendance? A lot I think! e three of us had a great time and I know that I added to my knowledge. If this had been a district activity and there were only the three of us, it would have been the same. With our district programs…whether it be a few or many in attendance, there will always be something to take away that can be used to elevate our craft. So… it’s not as much about how to keep program attendance high as it is for each of us to participate with our district activities for the reasons that are important to us. And, as I keep saying, just being a member of a professional organization like the Virginia Professional Photographers Association is a contribution to the profession as a whole. We all benefit… and we are all very fortunate to know that. ...there will always be something to take away that will elevate our craft.
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Gordon Kreplin workshop images
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Don Aittama
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The Zone System It is essential to remember the basic relationship: if we take a reading from a single-luminance surface and use the indicated exposure settings, we are giving Zone V exposure for that surface, and anticipate a negative density Value V and a print Value V (middle gray) representing that surface . . . To determine the remainder of the scale, then, we define a one-stop exposure change as a change of one zone on the exposure scale, and the resulting gray in the print is considered one value higher or lower on the print scale. — Ansel Adams, The Negative (1981)
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2014 VPPA Convention ~ February 21-25
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