Fred R. Archer

Fred Robert Archer (December 3, 1889 – April 27, 1963), was an American photographer who collaborated with Ansel Adams to create the Zone System.

[4] In 1928, he wrote an influential article along with fellow photographer Elmer Fryer called "Still photography in motion picture work".

[13] Archer collaborated with Ansel Adams to codify the Zone System, which is a photographic technique for determining optimal film exposure and development.

[10] The book was a "popular text" that "remained in print for a number of years", and was reviewed in several national photography magazines.

[2] In 1959, Archer won the annual Stuyvesant Peabody Memorial Award, given to a member of the Photographic Society of America "who has contributed significantly to Pictorial Photography".

[17] Archer's photos were featured in a 1980-1981 show "Southern California Photography, 1900-1965: An Historical Survey" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, alongside the work of Edward Weston, Man Ray, Robert Frank, Diane Arbus, and Imogen Cunningham.

[18] The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has seven photos by Archer in its permanent collection, including a self-portrait,[19] described as a "surrealistic image of his face merging with the front of a large format camera and an obedient fly resting on his trigger finger".