Darkroom | Alan Ross Photography

Ansel Adams’ Zone System – Darling Or Dinosaur?

May 19, 2016Alan6 CommentsAnsel Adams, Darkroom, Zone System and MeteringAnsel Adams, Darkroom, Zone System

As someone who worked side-by-side with Ansel Adams for a number of years, I get asked about Ansel Adams’ Zone System…A LOT! “How do I?” “Why does it?” “Can I?” I’ve written about the Zone System before, but a recent flurry of questions and requests for clarification have made me think it’s time…

Ansel Adams’ Darkroom – A Tour

Feb 11, 2014Alan1 CommentAnsel Adams, DarkroomAnsel Adams, Darkroom

Lot’s of folks have asked me what it was like to work for the master himself and what Ansel Adams’ darkroom was like. So, here’s a tour! When Ansel hired me in July of 1974 to be his assistant in Carmel, he actually hired me to be his #2 assistant. Ted Orland had already been…

Selective Masking for Printing Challenging Negatives

Aug 24, 2010Alan1 CommentDarkroom, TechAlan Ross, Darkroom, Masking, Photography, Printing Negatives, Selective Masking

Get Total Consistency from Print to Print Over the years I’ve evolved a technique I have come to refer to as Selective Masking. I use the term “selective” because it is a physical, hands-on method of tonal control in analog printing, rather that the photometric “unsharp masking”. In its basic form, it’s not techno-anything; it…