Zone Practice

Went out for a quick 6 photos as the sun was setting, I shot tri-x with the Linhof and 75mm lens. Using the Pentax spot-meter and zoning the exposures is working great, I feel confident, I know what the negs are going to look like before I take them out of the drum. When your doing zone placement of the tones and using 1 developer and 1 film it simplifies things, that's where I am at now. I am simplifying the tech stuff, now I need to pre-visualize the photograph and use the tools better to tell the story I want to tell.

I am also using the Linhof viewfinder to help me choose focal lengths and compositions which seems to be making that process easier. Am slowly getting better at using a view-camera, faster focusing as well as using all the different advantages of the camera (a fun one is adding shape to the foreground of the image by using back movements).

Zone System metering should work great for the Asian portraits, I can place the face, hair and other details where I want them and get strong technical negs which will make printing easier, no more underexposed faces under hats.

Here are a few scans from the shoot a few hours ago.





Over the next few days I will try to do some shallow focus heads or heads and shoulders with the Linhof, and zone metering (will place the faces on Zone 6 or 5.5). I hope to do plenty of heads/heads and shoulders when I am in Cambodia later this year.