Photographing Nature: A photo workshop from Brooks Institute’s top nature photography instructor

Chapter 14. Back in the lab

Managing pixels and making art in the digital darkroom.

Becoming the lab

Digital photographers can finally do what painters and other artists have always been able to do—create images that show how we interpret a scene, rather than just what’s there, in front of the camera.

In many ways, the days of shooting with film were simpler. If you shot slides, as most nature photographers did, you’d capture the image, send the film to the lab for processing, and pick out the pictures you liked. Then you’d send them off to clients or back to the lab for prints, or put them into a slide tray to share with friends.

The penguin in the ...