Hi Humphrey, Landscape and nature photography is my first passion. I remember when i got my first decent camera, you couldn't keep me indoors, even at night! I also consider myself quite a perfectionist, so I went out and gathered as much information as I could about the subject so I could produce the best possible photos. Here are a few suggestions...

First, keep in mind what the best times and worst times to shoot are. For the most dramatic effects, the sunlight should come from an angle and not from straight above. This gives interesting shadow play in your scenes. I have taken some decent photos in the midday, but I think the photos taken in the morning and evening are the best. Doing close-ups on flowers or insects are done best on overcast days. Partially cloudy days give the best color saturation.

Another important factor when shooting outdoors is filters. There are thousands of filters to choose from and can be purchased from 10 dollars to 1000 dollars. The choices can be overwhelming. But the basics are still true. Every photographer shooting outdoors should always carry a UV filter and a Polarizing filter. Just using these two pieces of equipment will produce a drastic effect. I'll explain why...

UV filters do exactly that, they filter out the ultra violet light that causes a bluish wash in your scenes. This particular form (bandwidth) of light isn't easily detected by the human eye, but since it resides the area of the spectrum where the blues are most dominant, the blue filter in your camera absorbs it and causes your blues to get washed out. Did you ever notice those times when you were taking a photo of a distant object like a mountain range. To your eyes it looks amazing, it was a clear day, the sky was a clean rich blue and the snowcaps looked so pristine and white. But when you took that photo and looked at it, there was a grayish hue cast all over it and you lost all that contrast. Well, that my friend was caused by UV light. It doesn't mean the camera is faulty or substandard quality. The same results can come from even the best cameras. Use a UV filter and you'll notice a better contrast in those blues and whites. Another little hint... UV is much lower at sea level than at higher altitudes. UV light will get dispersed more at sea level because there is more atmosphere for it to travel through. I do most of my photography in higher altitudes so a UV filter is a must. Since UV filters look clear and neutral to the naked eye, some people also use them as a protective filter which they leave on their lens at all times. Some people think this is a good idea, other question the wisdom placing a $20 filter in front of a $1000 lens and potentially affecting image quality. Both schools of thought have some valid points. It's your choice. All my photos are shot using a UV filter simply because i know that lenses get touched and scratched from time to time and Its more economical for me to replace the UV filter which is the cheapest filter.

A polarizing filter is an amazing tool, but when used correctly, you will get maximum performance, and improvement in your photographs. First of all, you achieve maximum polarization when the sun is low in the sky. As I stated earlier, mornings and evenings are better times to shoot landscapes with a polarizer, than say at high noon. Most dramatic landscapes are not shot during daytime, they are typically captured early or late; in either case, the sun is low. A polarizer will basically do two things; enhance color saturation and reduce reflections from glass surfaces and water particles in the sky. Remember, the atmosphere contains tons of water in the form of little droplets suspended in the air. Light coming from a reflected surface is all the same wavelength. This allows the filter to eliminate reflected light on that specific wavelength, making the reflections fainter. This is useful if you’re taking a photo of someone wearing sunglasses or landscape photos of the ocean. You can also apply that same effect to the sky, but it works a bit differently. Since the light is reflecting off all the moisture in the stratosphere, you make the sky appear a deeper blue. It’ll also increase your contrast between the clouds and the sky.

One factor to consider with polarizing filters is that they change the exposure needed for a shot. When you see a polarizing filter you’ll notice that it looks quite a lot like a sunglasses lens. The filter is dark and works by cutting our some of the aspects of light (similarly to sunglasses). As a result less light gets through to your image sensor and you’ll need to either use longer shutter speeds, a larger aperture or to beef up your ISO setting to account for this. The difference that you’ll need to account for is 1-2 stops. It’s for this reason that you won’t want to use a polarizing filter at night.

Now there are a lot of other filters you can play with, but these two are crucial in getting that wow factor in your shots.

The next thing I feel is very important is modes. I think way too many people head down the wrong path by using the 'presets' that come installed on their digital cameras. If you take a look at your parents or grandparents film cameras, you'll notice they didn't have 'modes'. The reason why is that (this is my personal opinion) photography is the art of manipulating light at the lens, not in some processor. One of the best pieces of advice someone gave me when I got serious about photography was to get a camera with full manual control and stay away from the presets! So i did. After a lot of practice through trial and error, i learned all about aperture and Fstops and exposure and white balance etc. But as a result, not only do I have a more intimate connection with my camera, (lets face it, the camera should be an extension of you, right?) but I also have more control of the camera in making it take the exact photo I want. I think using modes creates laziness. True photography was never meant to be "easy." After a day's worth of shooting, I feel exhausted! But thats where the satisfaction comes in when I'm looking at or showing the finished product. There is a big difference between real photography and casual snapshots. The worst thing you can say to a professional photographer is.... "C'mon, you're not working, you're just pressing a button all day!" HAHA Anyways, trust me, you'll thank yourself later for taking the time to master all the manual controls and not rely on the preset modes that came on your camera.

The last thing I think is important when dealing with the basics is stability. Get yourself a decent sturdy tripod. Make sure you shop around as there are a lot of models to choose from which vary greatly in materials used, weight, stability, and sturdiness. The most important factor is to make sure the tripod is rated for the weight of your camera. My camera is not lightweight at all and when I went out to get my first tripod, I went the economical route and got a lightweight aluminum model. I learned the hard way after taking a lot of blurry photos and actually having my camera fall over that the tripod needs to be rated for the weight of your camera. Also keep in mind that certain lenses like telephoto lenses will add a considerable amount of weight to your camera and in fact cause balance issues.

Last but not least, and I can't stress enough.... You get what you pay for. If you're really serious about taking great photos or learning the art, let that be taken into consideration when buying your accessories. Cheap and substandard equipment can really limit or hamper your efforts.

I hope this helps in any way and I hope you really get the most out of your adventures in photography! You can see my work at http://benfromsac5.smugmug.com

Reply

You camera looks like a hybrid point and shoot digital camera and mini video recorder. Although your pictures might not be the same level as the new point and shoot digital cameras it might pass as an entry level 7.0MP digital camera.

Pro: You might have other settings for your model that might not be available on other cameras. In camera picture editing features, download options my vary. Zoom and stablization might be superior.

Cons: Their might not be standard adjustments like aperture, manual, focus.

* Beside the your technical limitations, you actual photographs will depend own your own creativity and experimentation. You can always edit them on the computer via photo edit software. Other than that point and shoots are fun to use.

Reply

The real question is : do you like the pictures you made with this camera ?
Are they bright, do you like the colours ? How is the flash ?
Did you already take a lot of pictures ? How much among them are nice ?

Reply

I have a Brica DV-120Z Digital Camera with 7.0 megapixel. So it is good for photography?

Reply

The most important thing is to get to know your camera - than you can start to achieve some really great results.

As I said before, books are wonderful, but they do not familiarise you with the camera that you own.

Reply