I stopped using the zone system for street photography and my shots got way better

For like 3 years I was obsessed with Ansel Adams zone system. Metered every scene, plotted where every tone fell. Took forever. Last spring I was shooting in Golden Gate Park and just said forget it. Set my Pentax to box speed and started firing. The shots from that day had way more life in them. I think the math was getting in the way of seeing the moment. Has anyone else dropped some old school technique because it was slowing you down too much?

2 comments

2 Comments

henry_kelly5415d ago

Ditched my spot meter years ago, never looked back honestly.

rose_hart3115d ago

Whoa wait, you ditched your spot meter? Like completely? I don't think I could ever do that. I mean, sure, I know some people get by just fine with their camera's built-in meter, but a spot meter just gives me that extra layer of control. Especially when I'm shooting in tricky light, like a backlit portrait or a landscape with a huge contrast range. Without it, I feel like I'm just guessing and hoping for the best. Your mileage may vary, obviously, but that sounds wild to me.