Digital BW, The Print

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

> With the histogram, the basic idea is to fully utilize the dynamic range of
> the file and printing medium without clipping off the highlights or shadows...
> If you want to fully utilize the dynamic range of the medium (and I do and
> so did A. Adams), prints should have some pure black (0 on the 0-255, 8-bit
> digital scale, but also referred to as 100% in terms of the ink load) and
> very little pure paper white (255 on the 8-bit scale, and 0% ink).

paul,

you commented in an earlier message that the zone system is obsolete now that we have 
histograms. you are right when the procedure you describe here works. but in many cases, 
the dynamic range of the scene extends beyond the dynamic range that can be recorded. 
in that case, information at one end of the dynamic range must be sacrificed. my 
understanding of the zone system is that it addresses exactly this issue: not how to get 
the whole dynamic range on paper, but rather how to select the exposure to 'focus' on the 
part of the image you care about. what ansel adams showed us was how to make that 
selection reliably. a histogram alone won't help you do this: at the very least you need a 
spot meter to determine the luminance of particular points in the scene.

/daniel