The Zone System - Part 3
Keeping it simple
The first step in taking any photograph is previsualization. In terms of deciding how to expose a given subject - the important question is, what part of this picture do I want to print it as Zone lll?
Why Zone lll? Beacause Zone lll is the darkest zone that shows full texture and detail.
Have a look at the picture above, which area of the image would you judge to be Zone lll?
All light meters are programmed to give a 18% gray exposure for whatever amount of light they are measuring. So, in the Zone System language, all light meters will automatically place any reading in Zone V.
What this means is that the light meter sees everything in relation to Zone V.
In the example above, the meter recommended exposure will cause the dark concrete wall to print as Zone V, two zones lighter than what we want. We need to tell the meter, as it were, that the concrete wall is Zone lll and not Zone V. We need to close down by two stops to obtain the correct exposure. If the spot meter of the dark concrete wall read f/5.6, we must close down by two stops to f/11, this will place the meter reading of that area in Zone lll.
This is a vital point to understand.
If you do not have a spot meter then you can use your built-in light meter by getting close enough to your subject so that this area fills the viewfinder.
Stop down two stops from this recommended meter reading to place that area on Zone lll.
Using this new exposure, step back and take the picture.
In Parts 1 - 3, we discussed the basic elements of the zone system, enabling you to build on this knowledge and expand the possibilities.
The zone system is a good system to help your creativity by making you think on what you are doing.
