PROJECT 52, Week 4: THE ZONE

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What a vast and impressive realm photography is!!!  I seem to learn something new, daily.  On this weeks Project 52 workbook, we are studying metering and how it affects exposure.  Metering is entirely unfamiliar to me and reading through the material has been fascinating.  I can’t get enough of it!

Thanks to Ansel Adams, we have an exposure model called the Zone System.  According to our study book, The Visual Toolbox, “the Zone system divides the spectrum from white to black into 11 zones.”  Instead of experimenting with all 11 zones this week, our task was to take 3:  white, black, and grey.  It can be best to use a grey card for metering and I happen to have a set which I’ve used for white balance in the past.

IMG_0434 cards

Frustratingly enough, my world has been ALL grey this past week.  We’ve not seen the sun for 4 weeks.  With heavy rain and fog, I took off for the local park with my Bron where I knew there was a pergola to shoot under.  I got set up and took my shots according to my zones.  I was very disappointed with a couple of photos but I liked the grey zone (card) the best.  I chose to NOT do a single ounce of editing so that all of you can see exactly what occurred with my experiment.  Check out the visual diagram below…

METERING image

When I was done trying out the 3 zones, I decided to put my camera in AF mode to see what shutter speed IT would decide on when metering the grey card.  Below is the results.  I liked it better than the others so I did do some basic editing.  Ugh, look at those rainy grey skies, though!  My grey card fit right in, lol.

AF EE setting.jpg

 

Once I got back home, I decided that it wasn’t enough to practice outside.  So, I scooped up my youngest son’s stuffed puppy to see what my grey card could tell me…

5X7

Okay, I am officially a metering nerd.  What can I look for to meter next?  I think I’ll make a list, hahaha.

Thank you so much for stopping by!  Please feel free to comment with questions or thoughts about the zone samples.

For the next stop in the blog circle, it would be wonderful if you would head over to Future Framed Photography, located in South Dakota:

 http://futureframed.blogspot.com/2016/01/project-52-week-4-zone-system.html

 

 

 

 

 

8 thoughts on “PROJECT 52, Week 4: THE ZONE”

  1. Pingback: 52 on Friday :: Zone System » Northern VA Pet Photographer | DC & MD Dog Photography

  3. Grey days are perfect for the camera to do it’s thing. What a beautiful image. I love that you used a stuffed pup, too. I’m going to have to consider that when Hermes decides to be less than cooperative. ;O)

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