The Practical Zone System: For Film And Digital... Guide

The "Shadow Detail" zone. This is the darkest part of your image where you can still see texture (e.g., dark fabric, deep foliage).

Middle Gray (18% reflectance). This is what your camera’s light meter thinks it’s looking at, regardless of the actual color. The Practical Zone System: For Film and Digital...

Check where the background falls. If the background is in , you know it will be a deep, dark black with almost no detail. The "Shadow Detail" zone