Mexican author Juan Rulfo wrote: "A landscape is not just the description of what our eyes see but rather the revelation of what lies behind visual appearances. A landscape never refers only to itself but to something else, something beyond—a metaphysics, a religion, a conception of humanity or of the cosmos."

He’s right. Your landscape photography expresses who you are and what you really care about. It is an interpretation of the world and, at its best, an intensely personal interpretation. But how do you get there?

There is no simple formula, but there is a two-part path. One part is mastering the craft (nowadays, this encompasses digital photo techniques) and, in the process, honing and refining your own graphic and photographic style. The other part is connecting with your subject matter. Whether this is a landscape, a specific physical place, or a landscape theme, it should be something that moves you deeply, something you simply have to photograph.

We follow both paths, photographing intriguing places in great New Mexico light, and—even more important—critiquing and discussing your photographic journey. Your goal is to create not just a random assortment of good images but a cohesive group of photos that allows you to delve deeper into landscape.

Interested in seeing some of Linde's work? She is the author of seven fine art books of landscape photography; in addition to print they are available as free eBooks on her web site, www.westerneye.com.