learning to expose and develop

[SuzanneR]

I've always found Ansel Adam's books rather poorly written, and was never quite able to get my mind around the zone system just from reading them. It wasn't until I had some hands on instruction, that I finally started to understand it. When I first started in photography, I learned more in the Helen Levitt mold... expose enough, and don't overdevelop. After some experience, I can see when a negative is good... it should simply be luminescent.

That said, I've been fumbling around pushed film in X-tol lately, and have come up with some rather dense negs. Suppose I should stop being "intuitive" for a moment, and run a few tests to determine a good developing time. (Save some time and film, as St. Ansel so nicely pointed out!)

As for evaluating prints... well, I love a technically perfect print, but not as much as an expressive one.

[Andy K]

Can the Zone System be applied to 35mm? I ask because I have only seen it discussed among lf photographers.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Knowing the Zone system is useful for 35mm photographers, but it's not as convenient (being harder to control development times of individual exposures), and there are some effects of the Zone system that don't lend themselves well to 35mm enlargements (i.e., for maximum enlargability, you would in general be better off underdeveloping a bit and controlling contrast by paper grade and other printing controls).

If you wanted to try using the Zone System for 35mm, you could mark several rolls of film for -2, -1, N, +1, and +2 and swap them in and out, and if you found that it worked for you, get a few inexpensive camera bodies and use them as you would use interchangeable backs on a medium format system.

[severian]

I am mostly self taught. After 30 odd years as an amateur I know how to use a camera to expose film. I can look at a scene and decide what exposure will best serve what I want on the negative, whether to expose for shadows or highlights, which filter to use, I'm gradually learning how to use an enlarger to get a pleasing print. As for all the technical terminology, 'toes and shoulders' etc. mean nothing to me, it baffles me completely!
Maybe when I eventually get round to taking a class, I'll know!

Andy
Don't take a class just take more photos
Jack

[severian]

My bottom line is that thinking you will learn anything about making photographs by reading Phil Davis or AA is like thinking you will hit .400 by reading the Biography of Ted Williams
Jack