I won't soon forget the first time I stepped into the gallery of famous Australian landscape photographer, Ken Duncan. It was incredible. I felt energized, yet peaceful. There were walls lined with the finest examples of natural colour I'd ever seen and I could only applaud the locations and the photographer.

As a landscape photographer, Ken Duncan left an impression on me that was to motivate my passion. I wanted to create the same energy, capture the same vivid colour, but I felt in comparison, my pictures were the stuff of snapshots. I needed to evolve my photography - and my knowledge of the art. So I began to read, and rapidly developed a new understanding of photographic philosophies and techniques. So far, my composition was pleasing and there were stunning landscapes all around me. But the one thing I wasn't getting was the essence and power of colours I was seeing with the naked eye. My path to coaxing nature's palette through my lens and onto my film was to experiment.

I soon realised that my choice of film had a major influence on results. I learned that using slide (transparency) film intensified colour. Furthermore, I discovered that slower film emulsions such as the famous Fuji Velvia, which is only 50ISO, is a gift to photographers wanting the strongest colour results. In fact, beware: this film can become addictive. Even so, there were times when, drunk with colour, I wanted more.

I remember a trek beneath a canopy of forest that taught me another vital lesson about the effect of the colour of light on film. With cameras loaded and hopeful that my new enlightenment would yield results, I went about taking pictures of the scene around me. But my film recorded the image somewhat differently to the way I saw it. Each frame appeared cold and blue, while my personal experience was had been quite warm. I was advised to try using a warmer filter. The following weekend I returned armed with such, and in the same overcast conditions photographed the scene with greater success.

The only other filter in my kit bag is every landscape photographer's favourite - a polarizer. I use mine when shooting in the heat of the day to compliment the brilliant blues of seascapes and skies. These two filters have been fundamental in improving the richness of colour in my work.

As much as my work had progressed, it wasn't hard to see that I was no Ken Duncan. But my learning curve had had reached a point where my experimenting had made me become particularly familiar with the surroundings I was shooting. I was now able to predict the potential for wild light and the way it could enrich a shot. It may be the last ray of sunlight that shapes and warms a sand dune or that a brief moment of a rainbow decorates the sky. The kind of knowledge to capture these results from much trial - and many errors.

Some of the richest colours I've captured on film have been from a sunrise, and believe me, it's worth the early start. Look for and study the effect of colour and light as the sun travels from horizon to horizon. Study the variations in contrast, colour and sharpness of light. Examine their effects on each aspect of the landscape - and how it translates onto your film. You'll soon begin to understand and get a natural feel for the correlations, your experiments will turn over a good rate of success and you'll see your images begin to bleed with colour.

Looking at Ken Duncan's images taken around Australia provides ample inspiration to improve. His panoramic images of the nation abound with living colour and he skillfully draws every colour of the palette from the landscapes he shoots. And between him, you and me, the question begs to be asked: is Australia really just a sunburnt country? I haven't found it to be so.

As a photography expert, Dan Paris will be writing regular articles on travel photography and photography reviews.