With the wide variety of unique flora and fauna available around the state, Texas state parks are a go-to for capturing breathtaking images. This fall, four state parks in the Austin/San Antonio area will be participating in a pilot digital photography program.

“We’ve been told there are up three times as many digital cameras in Texas than adults yet most of us don’t really know how to use them,” said Chris Holmes, Director of Interpretation and Outreach Services for the State Parks Division. “I couldn’t think of a more inspiring place to learn and practice than at a Texas state park. If the pilot goes well we’ll ‘macro’ out across the state.”

These classes are designed to help aspiring photographers fine-tune their skills with guidance from professional photographers Bud Force and Erich Schlegel using the picturesque backdrops at Texas state parks.

Force’s work can be seen in National Geographic Adventure, Backpacker magazine, The Travel Channel, and CNN, among others. Schlegel’s portfolio includes a wide-range of clients, including National Geographic and USA Today.

If you don’t own a high-quality digital camera, no worries. Some of these classes will help improve the quality of photos taken with a smartphone.

“The goal of the pilot program is to bring in adults from all ages and backgrounds,” said Holmes. “The curriculum we’ve worked on together places emphasis on beginners as well as those wanting to hone their skills.”

The class topics include smartphone photography and social media sharing, fall photography, natural lighting, night skies, and adventure sports.

The fall schedule is as follows:

Social and Smartphone Photography
Sept. 23, McKinney Falls State Park, Austin

Skills to be covered in this course include: types of smartphone cameras and resolution, composition, photo apps, tagging and hashtags.
Basics of Outdoor Photography
Oct. 10-11, Government Canyon State Natural Area, San Antonio

Skills to be covered in this course include: types of cameras, composition basics, exposure triangle, equipment and field tactics.
Fall and Nightscape Photography
Nov. 10-11, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Fredericksburg

Skills to be covered in this course include: exposure triangle and long exposures, light painting, star photography and star trails, time lapses, campfire photography, and lighting tents.
Adventure Sports Photography
Dec. 5-6, McKinney Falls State Park, Austin

Skills to be covered in this course include: composition and exposure, kayaking photography, swimming photography, yoga photography, trail running photography, fishing photography, hiking photography, and biking photography.
For more information or to sign up for these classes, visit: http://www.txoutdoorphotoworkshops.com/.

Classes are on a first-come first-serve basis and have a capacity limit.