There is great depth to the Zone System and its environs. There is science, philosophy and instincts to grapple. There is the problem of making practical skills of exposure and development match theoretical understanding. There is the challenge of seeing subjects freely and the challenge of finding a visual voice. There are years of study ahead. That is the great depth of the thing, and one of its calling cards.

Beginning with this chapter, it is assumed that the reader is sufficiently fluent in the concepts and relationships being discussed. The content will become less structured and less linear. Technical issues will be addressed more directly. Sometimes you may have to research a bit to fill in the gaps. Now that you have the fundamentals under control, you can readily learn the finer details as you need them.

Also, it is expected that you can just make certain carefully directed leaps of faith. For instance, at the point of talking about N-5 development the text might read something like: "The highlight that fell on Zone 13 had a Zone 8 density after N-5 development." We have not really talked about Zones above 10 or below 0, you would have to make the leap of understanding to figure out what they are by context. In the case above, Zone 13 would represent a subject that fell three stops above Zone 10. If we don't do something radical with the film development, it will print as pure white. While Zone 13 does not necessarily show up on any of our charts, it will not be long before you bump into such a beast in the field.

Buckle your seat belt, here we go.