With digital landscape photography, one of the most satisfying aspects is that you can evaluate your pictures right there in the field. With emotion playing such a big part of digital landscape photography, you can now get a good idea right there of how much of the moment you were able to capture...
However, making the transition from film to digital landscape photography it is important to get past the technological hurdles, in order to pursue your particular vision of the landscape around you.
The first step in digital landscape photography is to ensure that you have a good theoretical grip on the technology and functions of the camera you will be using. For that purpose you should take time - before packing your tent and setting of into the countryside! - to study all you can about your camera's specifications, as well as visiting a couple of the many excellent online guides and tutorials on digital photography.
One of the best ideas would then be to go on a field workshop. Many expert and experienced digital landscape photographers offer such field tutorial trips where you will be able to learn the ropes right from the horse's mouth. These digital landscape photography workshops are popular. To be sure that you can be accommodated, you have to plan ahead and make your booking in good time.
One such opportunity is presented by digital landscape photography pioneer Stephen Johnson. You can spend a week with him exploring the Maine coast, where you can take part in digital image capture, exposure, and composition. You will also get the benefit of critiques and lab work in image processing, printing, and presentation.
Another way to improve your skills in digital landscape photography, is to join a seminar or workshop by landscape photographers such as Michael Reichmann, Alain Briot, Craig Samuel, Daniel Bergmann, and others. These events are usually booked up far in advance!
With digital photography now being pursued in many speciality spheres, it is even possible to attend specialized workshops on, for instance, digital landscape photography in black and white.
These events will offer you a better opportunity to get to grips with what you want to achieve in digital landscape photography. To use Michael Reichmann's distinction, you will learn how to shoot an image that is different from a mere snapshot or just another pretty postcard picture...
A few digital landscape photography tips:
1. Point your digital camera lens upwards, and capture more of the sky. This can signify openness, freedom, and wide expanses - the effect you are striving to achieve in digital landscape photography.
2. The best time to shoot landscape pictures is during the first 2 hours and last 2 hours of daylight.
3. For panoramas: Meter all scenes beforehand and use the one with the least exposure. Then take all scenes with that constant setting.
4. Shooting in below zero degrees? You should keep your batteries warm by alternating sets between the camera and your inner pocket. Below zero temperatures shorten battery life.
5. Setting White Balance: For nature photography set WB to daylight.
More tips and advice can be found in 'Digital Landscape Photography Step By Step', by Michelle Perkins. This book may be compact, but it is packed with good advice about composition, the technique behind photographing sunsets, night work, and creating black and white images. This book will give any beginner a good start.
Another renowned photographer, Tim Gartside, gives detailed information about this subject in his book, 'Digital Landscape Photography'. This volume includes topics such as software manipulation of images, but also guides the novice through composition and the basic techniques of digital landscape photography.
