Alan | Alan Ross Photography

Meter Calibration

Jun 23, 2009AlanTech, Zone System and Metering

According to Ted Orland’s poster Photographic Truths: “No two light meters agree.” Sadly, that does seem to be pretty much the truth – unless you do something about it.

For years I had a pair of supposedly “matched” Pentax digital spot meters that were never closer than 1/3 of a stop from each other – so I had to remember which meter I used for film tests and which one I had in the field. One of these meters had an accident and got sent off to its maker for a rebuild – and came back 2/3 of a stop away from where it had been, now 1/3 higher than the meter it had been lower than! So I sent the other meter off to its maker and after two months got it back about the same as when I had sent it. Which meter was right?
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Airport X-Rays

Jun 23, 2009AlanTech

It’s something that worries all of us: Is my film going to get wrecked by airport security? I guess the answer is always “maybe”, but recent experience makes me want to say “probably not.” In the last year and a half I have had the opportunity to make three international trips with 4×5 camera gear…

Variable-Contrast Articles – Reprints now on CD-ROM

Jun 23, 2009AlanDarkroom, Tech

In 1998 and 1999 I wrote a 4-part series of articles on Variable-Contrast printing for CameraArts magazine (the “smaller-format” sister of ViewCamera magazine). CameraArts is now defunct in print form however the articles are still available directly through me. If you have been one of my students and would like something better than the xerox…

Zone System Heresy – A Case for Zone IX Calibration

Jun 23, 2009AlanAnsel Adams, Zone System and Metering

Ever since I was back at Ansel’s in the late ’70’s, I had been faithfully calibrating my high values at Zone VIII, targeting a density of about 1.25 above filmbase-fog. Since 2004 or so, however, I’ve been thinking more and more that it makes more sense to calibrate to Zone IX, with a target density…

To Mount or Not to Mount

Jun 22, 2009AlanTech

There’s no doubt about it, a dry-mounted print is the flattest. It was Ansel’s style to mount prints – in fact at the time it was THE way to “properly” present a print. Many people still prefer to mount their prints – when it’s well done and overmatted it looks terrific. The downside is that…