Zone System

E478452

The Zone System is a photographic technique for controlling exposure and development to achieve precise tonal range and image detail, widely used in black-and-white photography.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Zone System canonical 2

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (52)

Predicate Object
instanceOf exposure control system ⓘ
photographic technique ⓘ
appliesTo black-and-white photography ⓘ
film photography ⓘ
printmaking ⓘ
authorOfDocumentation Ansel Adams ⓘ
basedOn characteristic curves of film ⓘ
relationship between exposure and density ⓘ
sensitometry ⓘ
coreConcept division of tonal scale into zones ⓘ
placing and developing zones ⓘ
previsualization of final print ⓘ
separation of exposure and development decisions ⓘ
creator Ansel Adams ⓘ
Fred Archer ⓘ
developedDuring early 1940s ⓘ
late 1930s ⓘ
developedIn United States ⓘ
documentedIn The Negative ⓘ
The Print ⓘ
field photography ⓘ
highestZone Zone X ⓘ
influenced modern exposure practices ⓘ
lowestZone Zone 0 ⓘ
middleGrayZone Zone V ⓘ
notableProponent Ansel Adams ⓘ
purpose achieve precise tonal range ⓘ
control development ⓘ
control exposure ⓘ
maximize image detail ⓘ
predict print values from scene luminance ⓘ
requires control of development time ⓘ
spot meter ⓘ
understanding of film speed ⓘ
technique N development ⓘ
N+ development ⓘ
N- development ⓘ
adjust development to control highlight zones ⓘ
place important shadow on specific zone ⓘ
usedBy darkroom printers ⓘ
fine art photographers ⓘ
large format photographers ⓘ
usesScale eleven-zone scale ⓘ
Zone 0 description maximum black with no texture ⓘ
Zone I description near black with slight tonality and no texture ⓘ
Zone II description first suggestion of texture in shadows ⓘ
Zone III description full shadow detail ⓘ
Zone V description middle gray ⓘ
Zone VII description delicate highlights with texture ⓘ
Zone VIII description textured highlights near paper white ⓘ
Zone X description pure paper white with no detail ⓘ
zoneCount 11 ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Ansel Adams → developed → Zone System ⓘ
The Negative → subject → Zone System ⓘ