The Zone System : For 35mm Photographers

Thousands of photographers have used the simple techniques described in this book to produce consistently excellent negatives and luminous prints. In this long awaited new edition, offering updated material and examples, Graves shows photographers how to apply the principles and procedures of the Zone System to both black and white and color photography. His proven methods allow even beginning photographers to relate the theory of the Zone System to their own equipment, materials, working procedures, and photographic tastes. Better still, the book imparts the understanding that the Zone System is not just a technique, but a way of thinking about photography that allows its practitioners greater freedom and creativity.

Graves' approach is based on the experiences and successes of hundreds of students. Special attention is given to the needs of roll film users with methods adapted especially for 35mm cameras. Over 80 illustrations, including full pages of color, provide clear examples of the techniques described. You won't need to learn logarithms or buy special equipment. This is not just the easiest to understand explanation of the Zone System available; it is a way to change your whole perception about the photographic image.

Carson Graves has been teaching, exhibiting, and writing about photography for over twenty years at schools and workshops around the country, including Arizona State University, Ohio University, and the Maine Photographic Workshops. He is the author of another highly respected photographic manual, Elements of Black & White Printing (Focal Press).