Nikon D80 Usage

Good camera. I'm jealous!

What digital editing software are you using? Photoshop CS2 has some great tools for working with RAW files. It's extremely pricey, though.

I've learned the key to getting good adjustments on your photos is to have a good monitor. There are techniques out there for calibrating your monitor, I'd do an internet search for how to adjust yours. Basically, you need to set the monitor to daylight balance and good color. Those should be easy adjustments to locate and fix.

As for white balance, if you're shooting RAW, the camera isn't presetting anything, so you will do that in your software. Each software is different, so I'd try the tutorials on it or search for good tutorials in the internet. I've found about 5 or 6 for Photoshop that I go back to so I can learn more all the time. Learn a little at a time, practice the heck out of it, then move on to the next.

Some of the others may be personal preferences. Flash, cropping, etc., all depend on the look you are looking for. Practice, practice, practice are the best thing. The good thing about digital photography is that it's not expensive, just time consuming.

Keep posting and you'll find people here who have good knowledge and you'll pick up on some things quick and before you know it, you'll be producing the photos you always wanted to.

I am so jealous! I am still saving up for that camera.

Show some of your pics on here, I want to see!

I also have the same setup. I suggest you buy SB600 or SB800 flash and try to experiment different lightning setup, both flash can be used remotely better if you have both flash. For Landscaping i suggest you used grid line in your viewfinder so you have better composition and perfect horizontal lines in your images. Hope this help, good luck.

It is pretty much trial and error, I have learned. Just take some time and test out lighting in different areas and get familiar with which white balance setting works best in which situation.

I love my D80. I have a wide angle lens that works wonders with color.

I know that this is a very old discussion, but I pricked up my ears when I saw your comment the the VR lens you are using is the "king of lenses".
NO zoom lens is going to give you the crispness of resolution of a prime lens; and the longer the lens zoom range, generally the more loss in sharpness compared with a prime, especially ate the long end.

I do not know how good your technique is, but this is a "consumer" lens, not professional glass, so if you have not yet got that standout quality you were seeking, maybe it is time to reconsider the lens.