Digital BW, The Print

Good morning Paul,

After reading your message below, I still think you are using the 
Zone System basically; for how is the histogram produced but by 
exposure. Proper exposure is the exposure that produces the desired 
tones (histogram values). Every time you examine the histogram you 
are seeing the result of exposure. Granted you can make changes in 
the histogram, but an initial xposure must be made that will contain 
the values for you to manipulate in Photoshop or another program. 

Another feature of learning the basics of the Zone System is that you 
can previsualize the final print, and having done that; utilize any 
tool at your disposal to produce that print. All of us must develop 
some kind of discipline to enable us to relate to the scene before us 
to produce the final print. One method I use is to initially utilize 
an incident meter then using a spot meter observe where each value 
falls in the scene. Calculating the exposure is simply placing the 
most crucial Zone (tone) and seeing where the others fall. Photoshop 
will enable us to either expand development (setting white point) or 
give minus development (set black point) and adjust the other values 
to suit ourselves. Then we can use the wonderful tools you have 
provided for us the the form of either curves or ink mixtures. I 
think most of us use MIS inks.


Your friend in Photography,

Johnny




--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Roark" 
<paul.roark@v...> wrote:
> 
> 
> >...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