Understanding Exposure:ZONE SYSTEM

[slycry]

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(OT) Fafa szich: Although I know about Zone System, it seems I'm unable to use it when I use flash. We had a two-day in-house convention at our office and nobody volunteered to be the photographer so I was it. Aris lent me his flash but it was my first time to use it. Although I know the principles of bounce flash, in practice it's really hard. Most of my photos are 'burned' (puti kaayo). I have yet to marry the Zone System with flash techniques. He he he. It seems you and fafa dj_dark already know a lot about flashes and I'm wondering if you are planning an advanced workshop on using them, maybe a one-day seminar/workshop about on-cam flash techniques?

same here...having the same question about zone system in using flash...


btw, how about EV button sa nikon (im not sure about sa canon), what if mag change ka, lets say -2 EV, does it affect the whole frame or on the spot your metering?

[noelie_023]

i boought a book about the Zone System a few years back and I gave it away..cause i felt like its a good book and it really helps a photographer. After reading it my eyes functions like a spot meter. haha, although i dont use spot meter always.

but really, kato chart mao nato imo basihan. mag -2 black no details, -1 black w/ details, 0 grey (neutral), +1 white w/ details, +2 white w/o details, etc. nya if dika sure, convert it to B&W using your imagination..hints green grass, blue sky and asian skin is "0"

whats important is you meter for your subject so if your subject is black, meter for the black area (use spot meter if available or ipaduol imo cam sa area and get the value. then dial -2 on your camera (manual ni) then ayaw na hilabti ang settings nya recompose. usually everything will follow. bahala nanang highlight masunog or etc. as long as you got your subject correctly exposed. im not sure i explained that well kai nag tungab ko ug superior. haha

but if you reserach about it, im surre youll find easier to understand nga explanations. try youtube.

it really helps me as a photographer. and youll be spending lesser time in front of the computer correcting for expsures beyond -2 and +2 values thats really really impossible to bring up good details.

to sum up, expose for your subject using the zone system. and dont forget to thank ansel adams for the zone system. hahahahha. go pips. expose well.

WOW usa sa sikat na photog sa amu skul ^^... so sa skin dyu d diay ei meter ?? nag libog man ko gud.. usually if mag portraite ang mata man akong ei.. meter... yeah nana ko idea.. about ani.. ang ako practice lang dyud.. kay ag practice ko ghpon. lisud man diay labaw na og outdoor kay the lights keep on changing. and damn i have to re-meter, results is na ratol ko kay maikog ko sa model. nyhaha nag av na lng ko.. nyhahaha

[noelie_023]

It depends. Since your examples above are parts of the human body, then when shooting humans, meter off the skin. If shooting at animals, meter off their dominant color if they're multi-colored like a peacock. If shooting at trees or green plants, meter off the green leaves. If flowers, dominant color or maybe the color you want to pop out.

Personally, I just meter off once but when I change position or the light changes, I re-meter. For example, if I photowalk, the exposure of a newspaper peddler under the sun is different from when he is in the shade. Photographers with advanced DLSRs can pre-program exposures and just select them with a button (I think). However, I only have a 450D so I need to re-meter often. This means I usually lose a few seconds or so and may miss important shots but heck I'm just a hobbyist so I don't really care if I do.

ahh now i get it.. meter on the dominant color sa imu subject am i right??

[slycry]

WOW usa sa sikat na photog sa amu skul ^^... so sa skin dyu d diay ei meter ?? nag libog man ko gud.. usually if mag portraite ang mata man akong ei.. meter... yeah nana ko idea.. about ani.. ang ako practice lang dyud.. kay ag practice ko ghpon. lisud man diay labaw na og outdoor kay the lights keep on changing. and damn i have to re-meter, results is na ratol ko kay maikog ko sa model. nyhaha nag av na lng ko.. nyhahaha

hahaha... same here bro... kung gipit na gani sa oras, awh aperture priority dayon... hehehe...


@uyarchie
Thanks for sharing...

[noelie_023]

@slycry mao lagi. .tsk2.. av dayun kong gipit. hehe
@uyarchie mga idol ni nako sila mga photogs sa skul, c archie uy og kino lim ^^

[szichri]

(OT) Fafa szich: Although I know about Zone System, it seems I'm unable to use it when I use flash. We had a two-day in-house convention at our office and nobody volunteered to be the photographer so I was it. Aris lent me his flash but it was my first time to use it. Although I know the principles of bounce flash, in practice it's really hard. Most of my photos are 'burned' (puti kaayo). I have yet to marry the Zone System with flash techniques. He he he. It seems you and fafa dj_dark already know a lot about flashes and I'm wondering if you are planning an advanced workshop on using them, maybe a one-day seminar/workshop about on-cam flash techniques?

i guess when Ansel Adams invented zone system wala maghuna-huna about flash/strobe kay as you have mentioned Ansel Adams is a landscape photographer he is more concerned about natural light... as for the flash/strobe you are in control of its output compared to natural light so i guess zone system doesn't apply that much, i guess you can apply it though when mixing both natural and strobe... it's just a guess, im not sure... hehehehe

and regarding on-cam flash technique im not that good with it... i struggle with its limited positioning...

[arvinbenitez]

nice...... up for this one...

[dj-dark]

Bounced flash does not necessarily "burn" (over-expose) but tend to under-expose (produce dark shadows under the eye lids.)

hmmmmmmm

[cmontoya]

@Fafa Szich: I'm a total flash noob. The only flash I'm using is the pop-up flash, he he he. Pero off topic na to. Sorry for bringing it up. Mga Jun/Jul pa ako bili ng flash. I'm sure in due time, I'll learn to use it too. Buti na lang meron (tsaran): Flash Photography with Canon EOS Cameras - Part I.

@Fafa dj-dark: Nosebleed din ako Fafs. Di na lang ako comment kasi hindi ko pa alam paano mag-meter ng flash lit scenes. Inuman na lang tayo. Red Horse kayo ni Fafa Szich, ladies drink lang ako kasi K Fed ako tulad ni Ricky Martin. Nakalala-vida lokwa.

[dj-dark]

ahhh ehhhh... you might be bouncing in a different angle/location ceiling is not the only surface to bounce light...

@popsimontoya... yup your right we are OT na.. hehehehehe minsan lang ako uminom ng ridhars ladies drink nalang din sa akin bl0wj0b or 0rg@sm