{"id":1709,"date":"2009-10-23T02:53:23","date_gmt":"2009-10-23T06:53:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.planetneil.com\/tangents\/?p=1709"},"modified":"2020-06-24T00:20:52","modified_gmt":"2020-06-24T04:20:52","slug":"exposure-metering-zone-system-zones-of-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/exposure-metering-zone-system-zones-of-light\/","title":{"rendered":"Zones of Light – exposure metering using the Zone System"},"content":{"rendered":"

A recent thread on the Flick group on flash photography techniques<\/a> dealt with exposure metering\u00a0.. and the questions revolved around\u00a0 understanding your camera’s built in meter<\/a>.\u00a0 One of the group members, Arnold Gallardo (Zeroneg1), replied with a lucid explanation on exposure metering, relating it to the Zone System in a clear understandable way, using images from my blogs.\u00a0 I’d like to\u00a0present this article by\u00a0Arnold Gallardo as the latest guest spot on this blog.<\/p>\n

I might not have such a specific linear approach to metering any more during the actual shoot, since with practice it becomes near instinctive .. but this analyzing of a few images might make an interesting outside perspective to the thought-process in exposure metering.<\/p>\n

Zones of Light – an approach to exposure metering using the Zone System<\/h2>\n

a guest post by Arnold Gallardo<\/strong><\/p>\n

We all have made a picture where we didn\u2019t get the representation we wanted it was either too dark or too light or not quite there in terms of how we wanted the camera to capture the scene or how it imparts an emotional element to the image.\u00a0 Then we realize how professionals do it \u2018so easily\u2019 when thinking about well exposed and composed images. Well, a Pro would have developed an innate sense of tonal placement<\/strong> and tonal awareness<\/strong> that has been developed through experience as well as \u2018seeing\u2019 and not just looking and solving things on the fly.<\/p>\n

Okay let us talk about tonal placement<\/strong> and what does that term really mean?
\nLet’s look at a series of images from a recent workshop<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In simple terms, tonal placement is the willful and deliberate exposure changes so that the desired shade<\/strong> or tone<\/strong> in a scene is altered or rendered the way the photographer wishes it to be.\u00a0 This could mean a whole area or section of the scene is altered or a specific part only is affected.\u00a0 Tonal awareness is something else and it is an innate ability to look out into a real world scene, and instantly recognize how the lighting in that scene would affect a photograph if it were exposed in a certain way. This is just being aware really of how dark<\/em> and how light<\/em> things are relative to each other and how the \u2018light behaves\u2019 in the scene.\u00a0 Is it directional\u2019, diffused or it is bright or specular?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In this image Neil took a reference shot to confirm how the tones in the scene registers in the camera.\u00a0 This includes the important parts of the scene that would be included and in this case, the building on the background (left) as the beautiful model\u2019s hair and skin tones as well as her striking wardrobe.\u00a0 Notice how the background is relatively bright.\u00a0 Although the model can be seen in the image she does not really ‘pop out\u2019 in the image and actually quite blends in to the background. By taking a\u00a0test image, Neil already has considered how to tackle this problem, so let’s analyze the process …<\/p>\n

Look at the model\u2019s highlighted skin and how close that is to the building\u2019s tone.\u00a0 So what\u2019s the solution?\u00a0 You can either lighten the background but then the model would lighten as well.\u00a0 Darkening the background would be an easier approach but yes the model would darken too. \u00a0The solution is to take control of the \u2018important tones\u2019 in the scene. \u00a0So what\u2019s the easiest way to develop this \u2018tonal sense\u2019?<\/p>\n

The Zone System<\/h1>\n

Ansel Adams developed the Zone System as a way to control the limitations of his film (as well as prints) in capturing the kind of image that wants. \u00a0The key word here is \u2018want\u2019 because you can actually have<\/em> the kid of tonality that you like (within limits) in an image if you plan ahead as well as analyze it well .. and also\u00a0have the available resources to pull it off.\u00a0\u00a0 Ansel Adams\u00a0divided the tonalities in an image into 11 Zones.<\/p>\n

Zone V<\/strong>-Your most important Zone.<\/p>\n

The camera meter sees Zone V which is the middle gray<\/strong><\/em> also known as 18% gray<\/strong><\/em> because it reflects back 18% of the light falling on it. Remember the light meter \u2018sees\u2019 nothing but this tone.\u00a0 The newer segmented (\u2018Evaluative\u2019 or \u2018Matrix\u2019 ) light metering systems aim to get beyond this limitation by breaking up the scene and analyzing each section or area and judging if that is an important area to consider for the overall exposure or not.\u00a0 Segmented light metering systems still does not know which area in the scene is most important to you, it can only guess based on its database of previously taken images (converted into an equation or algorithm).\u00a0 You must still decide which tones can be ignored and which tones can be compromised.<\/p>\n

Zone VII-VIII<\/strong> are the highlighted texture<\/em><\/strong> zone which are the most \u2018important highlights\u2019 like a wedding gown details like lace and ribbon patterns or more commonly the textures on a white towel or subtle undulations on clouds.<\/p>\n

Zone III<\/strong> are the detailed shadows<\/strong><\/em> areas.\u00a0 This mainly would be charcoal darkness but with visible details and patterns.\u00a0 In practice this would be a dark tie with design or dark tuxedo embroidery.\u00a0 This could also be black rocks and stones with discernible features.<\/p>\n

This means you expose for the most important tones in your scene.\u00a0 This is why just following the meter blindly would lead to wrong tones being captured.\u00a0 This is why most professionals use Manual Mode because they can place the tones on a sliding scale by changing the shutter and aperture and the ISO, or a combination of any of those.<\/p>\n

.\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

In this image Neil underexposed the background so that it would create contrast and \u2018drama\u2019 as well as have it fade into the background because dark objects always seem to recede back into the background.\u00a0 What he did here is to \u2018push\u2019 the Zone VII-VIII (highlighted textures with detail) down by 2 stops (-2.0) so they now became Zone IV-V which is much darker.\u00a0 Note that when he \u2018underexposed\u2019 everything else is \u2018pulled down\u2019 with it – the bright ground is now a grayish yellow tone as well as the model\u2019s clothing.\u00a0 This part is Neil taking care of the background\u2019s tonality so it would not blend with the model and has some sculptural element to it and not just a building.\u00a0 Also notice the perspective chosen.<\/p>\n

Naturally, the model\u2019s skin tone also became dark and she just lost all her definition.\u00a0 Since the model is the subject and the most important part of the image, she must be made \u2018alive\u2019 and \u2018vibrant\u2019 with life.\u00a0 The solution now is to take care of the tonalities in her skin, hair and clothing.\u00a0 Neil\u2019s solution to this is to use a portable softbox to illuminate the model, to bring her \u2018out of the shadows\u2019 and make her \u2018pop out\u2019.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Look at how she just is totally separated from the background and seems to exist on her own space.\u00a0 All this by \u2018placing tones\u2019 by dealing with separate parts of the scene through exposure changes and lighting control by dealing with the background first through underexposure and lighting the foreground subject through the portable softbox.<\/p>\n

What Neil actually did for the model is to bring out her Zone IV and V and even Zone III tones and push them UP to Zones VII and Zone V to Zone VI.\u00a0 Also look at her pants, there is detail in those so he pushed the Zone II\u2019s into Zone III-IV.\u00a0 Nice contrast too with the ground creating an outline and leads up to her torso.\u00a0 Her pose and gaze also counts in the way it leads the eyes where to look.\u00a0 All of this however would not have looked good if the lighting and \u2018tonal placement\u2019 is off and did not work together..<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This whole metering thing and 18% gray is even more complicated if you use Matrix Metering or Evaluative Metering. \u00a0Overall however it still if prudent to be able to place your tones.\u00a0 Basically what you do is if you have time, spot meter the most important tone in the scene.<\/p>\n

To fully use the Zone System, it is better to Spot Meter, (if not using Center Weighted), since Matrix complicates this because it also checks its database of stored images to compare with the scene you are looking at and judges accordingly.<\/p>\n

On some newer D-SLRs the AF indicator also plays an important part in determining your ‘most important tone’ because the metering system weighs the exposure toward where the AF indicator is placed.<\/p>\n

All of this means you have to meter the most important area you want to have in the image.\u00a0 The Zone VIII and Zone III are the ones you need to have but sometimes due to lighting conditions the number of stops you can capture gets either expanded or contracted.\u00a0 This is where you must decide if you would augment the existing scene with flash or change the dynamic range with filter (ND filter\/Polarizer\/Soft FX filters) or expose it as it is.<\/p>\n

If you scene is flat you have to create contrast<\/strong>, this is done by either using filters or using flash to overpower the sun.\u00a0 Also when there is too much contrast you can then either use fill flash to ‘Brighten up’ the shadows areas to push them towards Zone IV from Zone II or Zone III or by using filter like an ND filter to compress the tones.<\/p>\n

So after metering you must evaluate what kind of scene do you have, is it flat<\/em>,\u00a0normal<\/em> or contrasty<\/em>.\u00a0 How the scene is captured and metered would depend on your lens as well as in your camera. Different cameras have different dynamic and tonal range depending on the ISO and lens used.<\/p>\n

All of this is shifting<\/strong> where the existing tones on the scene are placed.\u00a0 This are controlled by your aperture and shutter speed as well as any flash or filter you use.\u00a0 Essentially you should consider the existing tones in the scene as being on a\u00a0sliding scale\u00a0of Zones where you can move the tones UP or DOWN depending you how you expose them.\u00a0 Your ‘baseline’ would always be the Zone V or middle gray. Some people meter only the ‘textured highlights’ and ‘detailed shadows’ and extrapolate the middle gray based on the Zone VII-VIII and Zone III placement on the scene.<\/p>\n

These tones and how they are rendered can also be altered in Photoshop using the CURVES and LEVELS but that has a limit. You do want you most important tones to fall closer to Zone V (middle gray) than outwards to Zone IX and Zone II because it is harder to recover those tones even if you shoot RAW.\u00a0 Shooting in RAW could only save you so much, therefore proper exposure is still preferable to doing everything in post-production.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Finally the workflow is<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

1) \u00a0meter<\/strong> the most important tones you desire and ignore the others.<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0 evaluate<\/strong> the scene before you based on the meter readings. Which tonality is more important than the others?<\/p>\n

3)\u00a0 decide<\/strong>how you will expose the most important tones in the scene.\u00a0 Will you WEIGH or LEAN your exposure towards the ‘Textured Highlights or towards the ‘Detailed Shadows’?\u00a0 Deciding on this depends on your exposure and your camera and lens.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The work flow for spot metering <\/strong>:<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0 Look at the scene with your eyes.
\nNow, just by looking you already know which parts of the scene before you, must have proper tone capture<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0 Meter the most important tones<\/strong>, based on the above evaluation.
\nThis means you meter the ‘textured highlights’ (Zone VII-VIII), middle tone (Zone V) or middle gray,as well as the ‘detailed shadows’ (Zone III) and anything in between. \u00a0When you meter each<\/strong> section, the meter would tell you the exposure<\/strong>.\u00a0 Take a note of each tone<\/strong>, plus their exposure values.\u00a0 They would be different for each tone.<\/p>\n

3) \u00a0Once you have ‘evaluated’ each important tone<\/strong>, you will now evaluate how much dynamic range or f\/stop difference there is between the ‘textured highlight’ and the ‘detailed shadows’.\u00a0 This f\/stop difference would tell you if the scene and the tones you are trying to capture would be.<\/p>\n

4)\u00a0 You expose for the most important Zones \u2013 so you basically expose for Zone V based on your reading for Zone III and Zone VII-VIII.\u00a0 This is why this becomes a sliding scale because if you expose a little more, the tones on the scene would shift and slide along with your exposure.<\/p>\n

Essentially all this means is that you’re doing the\u00a0Zone V exposure for another Zone, eg\u00a0 Zone VI-VIII.\u00a0 This is the placement.\u00a0 How do you do a Zone V exposure for a Zone VII-VIII area?\u00a0\u00a0 With B&W film,\u00a0by overexposing for 1.7 to 2 stops (+1.7\/+2.0). \u00a0Alternatively you can do a Zone V exposure for a Zone III area by underexposing for 2 stops (-2.0).\u00a0\u00a0 The subtle tones in between the Zones are handled by your camera’s 1\/3 f\/stop setting instead of having it change f\/stops say by 1\/2 when you change it. \u00a0 This is much easier form the old days when you can only change 1\/3 to full stops.<\/p>\n

You are using the ‘Zone V exposure’ for another Zone because that is the only tone that the camera meter in spot or center-weighted actually just sees. \u00a0It doesn’t know that your subject is a white gown or a back tuxedo or a red shoe or a blue dress.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Finger Rule:<\/strong><\/p>\n

a)\u00a0 Contrasty<\/strong>:\u00a0 (Five Fingers) \u00a0There is a five stop range between ‘textured highlights’ and ‘detailed shadows’.
\nContrasty scenes have sharp shadow outlines that can be traced.<\/p>\n

b)\u00a0 Normal<\/strong>:\u00a0 (Four Fingers) \u00a0There is a four stop range between ‘textured highlights’ and ‘detailed shadows’.\u00a0 Normal<\/strong>scenes have visible but diffuse and soft shadows.<\/p>\n

c)\u00a0 Flat<\/strong>: \u00a0(Three fingers)\u00a0 Three stop difference between ‘textured highlight’ and ‘detailed shadows’.\u00a0 Flat<\/strong> scenes have shadows with little or no definition and form.<\/p>\n

Now the ‘textured highlights’ and the ‘detailed shadows’ areas that you pick would be the ones you feel that are important and not necessarily be the only ‘textured highlights’ and ‘detailed shadows’ in the scene.\u00a0 They must be the the ‘textured highlights’ and ‘detailed shadows’ that you care about –\u00a0the ones that are important to you.<\/p>\n

4)\u00a0 You expose for the most important Zones – so you basically expose for Zone V based on your reading for Zone III and Zone VII-VIII.\u00a0 This is why this becomes a sliding\u00a0scale because if you expose a little more, the tones on the scene would shift<\/strong> and slide<\/strong> along with your exposure.<\/p>\n

If you are comfortable with evaluative\/matrix metering instead you can also change the tones in manual mode by changing your shutter\/aperture combination after making a test exposure and shifting your exposure through changing your shutter speed or f\/stop.<\/p>\n

This is why flash use is there for it to augment<\/strong> the existing lighting for you<\/strong> to be in charge of the final image rather than being limited by existing light and ambient light quality.\u00a0 Make everything work for you!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Here are some more examples of tonal placement:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Background tone test shot as well as evaluation. Now look at how Neil took care of the tones in this image.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Notice that the tones in the altar behind are quite close to the final image from the \u2018test shot\u2019 with no flash. All Neil had to do is to handle the bride\u2019s tones now by pushing the Zones up by augmenting the existing ambient lighting with a powerful flash creating a very diffuse light.<\/p>\n

.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here we see the same approach:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Neil \u2018tests\u2019 and properly exposes for the background as well as check how much this exposure for the background affects the models. He then again brings then \u2018out of the shadows\u2019 by using flash to stand out the models and isolate them creating this:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In all of these examples, note how much the tonal placement helps by seeing the Zones on a sliding scale by manipulating exposure and adding to the existing light and making it your own and actually \u2018owning it\u2019.\u00a0 Whether this is done though exposure (always preferable to do this in camera) or post-processing, it is all about tonal manipulation and control.\u00a0 If you develop this way of thinking, you would no longer feel limited by existing light that is available to you but work around it as well as make it work for you through the Zones of light.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A recent thread on the Flick group on flash photography techniques dealt with exposure metering\u00a0.. and the questions revolved around\u00a0 understanding your camera’s built in meter.\u00a0 One of the group members, Arnold Gallardo (Zeroneg1), replied with a lucid explanation on exposure metering, relating it to the Zone System in a clear understandable way, using images Read more inside…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30002,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14,18],"tags":[870,174],"yst_prominent_words":[9506,9516,1337,9512,9503,9518,9519,9514,9520,9511,9509,9502,9500,9517,9513,9507,9510,9505,9508,9515],"class_list":{"0":"post-1709","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-exposure-metering","8":"category-guest-spot","9":"tag-exposure-metering","10":"tag-zone-system","11":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1709"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1709"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1709\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49173,"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1709\/revisions\/49173"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1709"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=1709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}