The Zone System Revisited

Ansel Adams’ system for previsualizing and controlling the tones in a photograph are every bit as relevant today as they were when he first came up with them in the middle of the 20th century

By By Ken Rockwell

Published July 7, 2009
Updated October 14, 2016

Ansel Adams is credited with developing the Zone System in the 1940s. In the ensuing time, photography has undergone a series of monumental changes, but even today when digital dominates the photography landscape, the Zone System remains relevant, particularly if you’re going to be making black-and-white photographs.

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