Digital BW, The Print

Point well taken Paul.  So where should a guy like me (someone new to
digital b&w) go to learn about histograms in relation to our craft?
 
Josh
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Roark [mailto:paul.roark@...] 
Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2005 5:43 PM
To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Digital BW] Zone system (was Annie Lennox)
 


>...He also recommended that I learn the zone system, and once I do, the
>majority of my questions will have the answers reveal themselves.  ...

Well ...

I have the greatest respect for A. Adams and his work, and I found his
books
to be the ones that I related to most when I was learning and doing
darkroom
work.  It may be that I'm just so far down that learning curve that I
take
all his teachings for granted, but I must say I get tired of hearing
about
the "zone system."  It was mostly developed for a time before there was
even
graded printing paper.  As such, the negative had to be fit to the few
printing paper contrasts that were available.  

We are so far beyond that now, that I question spending much time on the
"zone system," per se.  On the other hand, AA's philosophy and general
approach to B&W to the extent it does not relate specifically to the old
processes is not at all obsolete. 

In terms of the technology, however, I think it might be more useful to
learn straight digital now.  The place to start, for me, is to capture
as
much information in the original shot as possible.  If one is shooting
digital, learning to use the histogram may be the closest analogy to the
zone system.  (As a film shooter, I've always graphed out my
characteristic
curves and used a spot meter to do this.)

As long as one has the maximum information in the file, then having a
printing system that can print well (like the C86 with EZ inks) and
having a
monitor that matches the print (Photoshop preview/soft proof -- not an
expensive color calibration system) ought to allow one to learn by
experimenting.

At any rate, my point was -- learn the histogram, not the "zone system."

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com 






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