Film & Digital Techniques for Zone System Photography

Avid art photographers will learn how to model their work after legendary black-and-white photographer Ansel Adams in this instructional guide. Adams’ methodology, known as the Zone System, takes what the viewer will see—the final print—into consideration at the beginning of the photographic process, rather than focusing strictly on what the photographer sees. Once this concept, called “previsualization,” is presented and defined, the book then follows a step-by-step approach to incorporating these ideas into all aspects of the photographic process, including lighting, exposure, development or digital editing, and printmaking or output of digital images. Whether working in film or digital media, these steps will foster early accuracy and elicit better source material from a camera, which allows for greater control and contrast in the lab or on a printer.  

Dr. Glenn Rand is a professor and acting chair of the graduate program at Brooks Institute of Photography. He is a contributing editor for Rangefinder and the author of Black and White Photography, Digital Photographic Capture, and Teaching Photography. He lives in Mason, Michigan.