Digital BW, The Print

I'm sorry if I'm rehashing some of what's been written
about Picker the last few days here. I have deleted
too many digests lately without reading them, due to
being overwhelmed with work.

Anway, ironically, last night I was unpacking some
boxes into my new studio and started loading a new
bookcase with books. One of the first ones that I
grabbed was Picker's zone system workshop book. I had
read that he died this week and it seemed appropriate
that I stumble upon his book. I think it was handed
down to me from Clark Thomas, another photographer
here in Nashville. Clark had Fred's print washer years
ago, and he turned me on to Zone VI. We both ended up
with tons of Picker gear in our darkrooms.

Things have changed so much in the last few years. I
remember following Picker's book, and eagerly opening
those little newsletter things that he mailed out
every month. Those were the days of densitometers, and
critical film testing, and "the perfect proof". I
remember using that book, along with the two Ansel
Adams "Print" and "Negative" books, as my Bibles for a
few years. Now everything with me is digital and those
days seem pretty far away -- obsessing over assigning
an effective ASA for Panatomic-X, etc.

I got this email from Clark about a month ago -- it
was one of those
make-you-think-and-then-forward-to-the-next-guy
emails. Something to the effect of: make a list of six
people who've made a lasting effect on your life. I
don't think I'd put Picker in those top six, but he
did seem to hold up a torch to maintaining high
quality standards, and he helped encourage me to make
those standards mine. I never even met the guy or
talked to him on the phone, but I'd say his whole
"Zone VI" mentality was very good for me in my younger
days.

I was never a 'roots and rocks" kind of shooter, but I
took his approach to the technical side of the dark
room, and applied it to my style of shooting.

The rumor on the street was that he was a crotchety
old fart, always bitching and moaning and pissed-off,
but  I'll just say that whatever he did, and whatever
he stood for, it made a positive, long-lasting
impression on my life. To this day, I still use that
Zone VI 64-ounce metal graduate to mix sodium sulfite;
I'm sure that thing will long outlive me.

-Mark Tucker, http://marktucker.com

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