Fred Picker - Zone VI Workshop

Photographer Fred Picker hosts his classic Zone VI Workshop where he teaches how to use a view camera, and how to properly expose and develop black and white film using Ansel Adams' "Zone System" method. He finishes with a printing demonstration in the darkroom, showing how he takes a great negative and turns it into a fine print.

[@harrybrooks8514]

I attended the Zone VI workshop in 1984. It was a great experience learning from Fred and his staff. I learned a lot. Even in this digital age, I fall back on some of those timeless principles.

[@larrysmac]

Zone VI Workshop took the 'mystery' out of the zone system for so many of us. Got my first copy in 1980, and ended up having to replace that, and at least a half dozen more that never returned after being loaned out. 🙂

[@FrankATracy]

Thank you for recognizing Fred Picker’s great contributions to the field of photography!

[@davidschwartz6042]

Fred Picker's books and catalogues got me interested in the LF world in the first place. This is a precious record of his approach. I don't agree with all of it, and his newsletters were curmudgeonly, to say the least, but he was truly an inspiration.

[@bluzizalright]

Mr. Picker knew what he was talking about.

[@williamclarke4510]

Fred was a liquor salesman before ZoneVI. You can tell he's a salesman by some of his pitches. I think some of his gadgets are marginally more useful. I bought his roll film washer and went back to one that connects to the faucet.

[@osbornephoto1955]

This brings back memories

[@sjmyamamoto]

Thanks for posting this. A refresher to the Zone System that I used year's ago when I shot 4x5 B&W architectural assignments.

[@tinpl8r]

Thank you for posting this!!!

[@petemc5070]

Wish there had been someone with this skill level teaching darkroom craft when I did a 3 year photography course years ago.

[@r423sdex]

It's not complicated.

[@nickfanzo]

Amazing

[@williamclarke4510]

I'M an alumnus of the Zone VI Workshop-June 17-27 1979. This event shook us all to the core.All the staff had images in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and /or the Metropolitan Museum of Art.I describe the experience as "an intellectual boot camp". Your portfolio was taken when you got there.Workshop participants only saw the staff's work, which was presented in several shows in the Putney School gallery.(The workshop was held at the school.). I personally didn't like Fred, thought Lillian Farber (also known as Lillian De Cock .I think her maiden name) was a little hysterical about things.I photographed a 1951 Chevrolet panel truck owned by the school.I asked her to critique a proof sheet on which the truck appeared (3frames) she screeched/fumed "Why did you take THISSSS?" and pounded her finger into the image the proof sheet. I looked away for a second in frustration.Myeee Dearrr. Ieee dooo not whant too see any moohore oh your feotogrraaffs! "she sneered. Another staff member,Susan Barron, poked her forefinger in my back and sneered "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I was taking a picture of a workshop participant that she didn't think would look right. On the last full day of the workshop, we were asked what photographers we liked.I said "Ansel Adams, Paul Strand,(whom I knew they revered) and uh Diane Arbus." "But they would haate Diane Arbus." He fumed.(I threw her in there just to get their reaction.). Then they returned our portfolios.I, like so many others, was so amazed at how far I had come in those few days. I worked in college public relations and had submitted a portfolio of "shooter photography" Myheee Dearrr.You're good at this, but THISSSS to be is not what we had in mind" commented Lillian Farber.My favorite instructor was the late Wes Disney. Some years later, I attended a workshop with George Krause.One of the other participants had attended ZoneVI because he knew and liked Wes.We had an excellent rapport, common bonds, because of our experience at ZoneVI, although at different times. I agree about the gizmos, some of which are worth having.When I taught college level photography, I used the Zone VI Workshop book as the Photography 102 text.It is by far the best text on black and white photography.Comments said at the workshop I attended were "Trust Ansel.", You must be your own harshest critic.", and " It is good discipline to destroy mounted photographs.".

[@rcjeffrey74]

I attended the workshop in August of 1985. I commented that "all the light you can get" is where to expose the shadows and let the rest go. I thought that he changed his advice after that. I have had many cameras and exposed very little film due to work. I still have my darkroom and hope to get my hands wet again.

[@roswellminard9350]

Great story! Thank you for sharing it.

[@fredsons2241]

The Fred Picker book made the Zone system easier than the Adams version which was a mountain to climb! It’s an essential tool for anyone serious about control. If you do the tests you will understand the technical aspects of film photography inside out.

[@russpury]

I had this series on VHS and learned so😮 much😮 from it. Easier to understand than either Adam’s or Minor White. I have one of his prints hanging in my living room.

[@RandyMoe]

Cool!

[@michaelricco81]

At 18:50, is that a b&w viewer that Fred Picker is using? I read about this in Ansel Adam's book "The Camera", but I have not been able to find one.

[@russpury]

Yes it is😮 a b&w viewer, really just a brown filter, I don’t remember the😅 number. I😮 have one of his for 35mm format or😅 shape. I’ll try to😮 find the number. 😊

[@michaelricco81]

@@russpury Thank you so much.

[@chrisbendel115]

Printing starts at 1:55:56

[@nickfanzo]

Why did he tilt the back instead of the front for focusing the water? To get distortion on the foreground?

[@parkersmithphoto]

Ansel Adams talked about tilting the back to make the foreground "loom." Check out his camera book. Picker's books are available for a song on Amazon.

[@williamclarke4510]

Additionally, I took a master class with Jay Dusard. Jay was trained as an architect.He was an assistant to Ansel Adams also. "Some of the photo engineers who design this stuff should be condemned to using it." and "Rember! Zone III isn't! You must bracket." are some of his notable comments.

[@baudad]

An Ansel Adams wannabe that peddled a lot of nonsense (fixer is heavier than water, never photograph backlit scenes, Dektol dumps high values, buy my print developer instead) to sell his products.

[@hostarepairman]

Your crude characterization sounds the snobbery of a lesser light. To me. Fred not only was a GREAT teacher and photographer, but developed the best light meters and print washer on the planet for others to use. I have on my wall my treasured (framed) photo of a glowing quarry wall that I purchased from him in 1980 while attending his Zone VI Workshop in Putney, VT. Great experience, learned a LOT. (Still have the washer!)

[@williamclarke4510]

Fred was a liquor salesman before he founded Zone VI. I asked a photographer what he thought of Fred.He started joking about the Zone VI Wratten viewing filter car winshield and the Zone VI pruning saw. I didn't like the way a lot of his images are printed. Not do I like a lot of his compositions.

[@larrysmac]

Your comment clearly demonstrates the rule of one @$$h0|e. We could be in heaven, and there's always one.