Zone System

2.5.2014, Week 5
Tia Nellisa Binti Noor Badrol Akram (0320027)
Introduction to Photography
“Zone System”

Lecture:

Today, as we begin the class, we did a quick quiz about photography via Twitter. After that, we started our usual group discussion in class, talking about zone system for this week. When the group discussion ended, Mr. Vinod gave us a short briefing about the zone system and also about Ansel Adams himself. We were given our first exercise of the day, which is about highlights, middle tones and dark tones. We have to gone outside and come back in later to show him what we’ve captured, whether it’s correct or not. After everything was approved by Mr. Vinod about the first exercise, he tells us our second exercise, which is about Ansel Adams shots before we ended the class for that day.

Objectives:

Understanding how zone system works 

Instructions:

Instructions for 3(a) Highlight, Middle & Dark Tones (5%)

The student must show evidence of using the Zone System technique to capture an ‘accurate exposure’ of a subject with light tones, a subject with middle tones and a subject with dark tones. An accurate exposure entails ‘visible tonal values and details’ in all three tonal areas.

Exercise 3(a) Light, Middle & Dark Tones 

Highlight tone

What The Camera See(Zone5)

Aperture: F5.6, Shutter Speed: 1/640, ISO: 200

What I See(Zone 7)\

Aperture: F5.6, Shutter Speed: 1/250, ISO: 200

Middle Tones

What The Camera See(Zone5)

Aperture: F5.6, Shutter Speed: 1/6, ISO: 200

What I See(Zone 4)

Aperture: F5.6, Shutter Speed: 1/13, ISO:200

Dark Tones

What The Camera See(Zone5)

Aperture: F 5, Shutter Speed: 1/2, ISO: 200

What I See(Zone 3)

Aperture: F5, Shutter Speed: 1/5, ISO: 200

(Screen Shots)Hardcopy of Exercise 3(a) Light, Middle & Dark Tones 

Instructions for Exercise 3(b) Ansel Adams Shot (5%)

Marking Criteria: Students must show evidence of using the Zone System. Student must produce 1 black & white image that captures depth and richness in tonal value by capturing light, middle and dark tones while maintaining details (texture and tone) in the dark and light areas of the image.

Exercise 3(b) Ansel Adams Shot

Aperture: F3.5

Shutter Speed: 1/800

ISO: 200

The zone system sketch out

(Screen Shots)Hardcopy of Exercise 3(b) Ansel Adams Shot

Feedback :

Specific feedback:

Mr. Vinod told me that the exercise I did was accurate, as it seem like I have understood the concept. Thus, the execution was accurate. He even told me that my e-portfolio was proper and couldn’t discern any issue for correction from it. Mr. Vinod told me to keep up with the good work.

General feedback:

None.

Reflection:

Experience:

From today class, before we even start the group discussion about zone system, we did a short quiz based on what we’ve learn so far via Twitter. It was surprising, yet very refreshing. Even though it’s a quiz, it was quite fun. Early in the morning when I am still not fully awake and such, doing a quiz was something quite interesting, my brain literally woke up. After the quiz ended, we did the discussion and I notice that most of us don’t fully understand what zone system really is, it’s very difficult to understand. Even I had a problem about it, but later on most of us seem to understand it more when Mr. Vinod explain to us during the briefing about the zone system and even a little about the history of it. After that, he shows us how to take a picture with the knowledge of the zone system. Later on, he told us to do the exercise 3.a outside the class, I didn’t really understand what to do and I keep on doing mistakes. When I come back to classroom later to show my photo to Mr. Vinod and he said that I did a mistake on all of my pictures. So, I redo it again, after thinking hard about the exercise 3.a really is and show to him again, finally he accepted, at least I’m on the right track. For exercise 3.b, which we had to do it back home, it was a little tricky and I had to take it a lot of time. However, I was able to do in the end and I hope it did it correctly.

Observation:

I realize the remembering what we’ve learn so far is important, not only for us but also for the assignment we going to do in the future. Doing a short quiz before starting the class has shocked everyone. This is because most of us probably afraid to answer it wrongly later on or the question may be too difficult. Surprisingly, the quiz was not that bad and this is the first time I actually had fun doing a quiz, which is very rare because usually quiz are the most heartbreaking activity. In the group discussion, I think that the zone system is quite a tricky topic to understand since most of us are likely to stay silent throughout the whole time. But as usual, we gradually were able to understand it more when Mr. Vinod gave as a briefing about it.I also realize that we can ask him question about of previous exercise in class. As for the exercise, most of us don’t really understand what and how our assignment really is. Thus, in the end we did it wrongly, and had to redo it. I was glad that we can actually ask Mr. Vinod about our photo whether we are in the right track or not, because it’s a very difficult task since most of us are not really used to it yet. I realize that I need to work harder in the future to be able to do my assignment.  

Findings:

From today class, I was able to ask question in the group discussion which I wasn’t really sure whether it’s still in the right track or not but as Mr. Vinod always said, “Take a stab at it”. I had taken the risk. I also notice that the zone system is a very tricky topic and I need to focus on it more to be able to understand it. I will need to overcome that because I know that the future assignment is more tough than the previous one as we are already have so many knowledge about the basic things about photography. I had a little problem with zone system at first and I hope I will able to understand it completely and be more like an active learner. I think photography is fun, even though I had problems with my assignment sometimes but it was exciting. I hope that in the future I will be able to get used to it.