[mattb123]

A lens like this would make a nice small travel zoom for when you don't want to carry something like the 60-250 around.

Since I have the non-wr version, if I win I'll give away my old one to a forum member.

[Bunch]

Explore,...whether you're in a bare 10x10 room with nothing but a lamp on a table or a broad expanse in the wilderness. Explore your possibilities, move around, try new angles and perspectives, experiment with light, take inventory of your surroundings, and try new things. There is no downside, even if you are not happy with the results, you learned something about your equipment and environment.

[Eulogy]

Try new angles. Get down low or stand on something to adjust perspective slightly, it makes for a drastic shift in some scenarios.

[vjacesslav]

CAMERA TOSS TECHNIQUE
The tip is actually not mine, but belong to Matt Shumate, who demonstrates how he creates stunning and seemingly dangerous images, on the edge of cliffs and over bodies of water, using the Camera Toss Technique.

You Tube

You Tube

[Tau-Ceti]

Things i learned so far, that i consider helpful.
Well:
- the onboard flash is not as bad as its reputation. Set the settings on - 0.7 ev and every person will look rather normal instead of looking like someone who hasn´t showered in years.
- underexposure might be helpful to get faster shutter speeds or lower iso settings. This seems rather obvious, but - 0.7 ev can be easily corrected and aditional time might prove valuable in darker places. (If you use RAWs)
- you want to try Macrolenses, but haven´t decided yet if you want or need one at all. You could by an adapter to mount your kit-lens the other way around, works perfectly well and is a quite cheap solution too.

(Totally only five sentences

[stubyles]

Get a tripod that you can carry with you everywhere.

The best tripod IS the one you have with you.

Having a tripod with you enables you to shoot low light or long exposure shots, gives you more chance of nailing the focus on close-ups and will make sure every shot is as sharp as it can be.

I have a 30 year old foldup metal tripod which fits in my pocket (it goes with me everywhere, along with an infrared remote), it made it possible to take this 30 second shot in Budapest after an afternoon wandering around the shops and an Xmas Market with the Wife, I couldn't have carried a full sized tripod around with me all day.

[pathdoc]

a) I wasn't trying to say otherwise and b) Neither do I
It was supposed to be a humorous serious giveaway entry

I know. That's why I put the razzy-tongue smiley at the end of my post.

[Ash]

Great idea Adam to get seasoned photographers to contribute more on the forum with helpful advice!
I might not fall into that category being an amateur, but I have a few years of Pentax shooting up my sleeve that enables me to give some tips on how to get the best out of the Pentax camera.

1. Have a picture in your mind of the style of photo you would like to create. This is the skill of "learning to see". This gives you a guide as to how you decide on an aperture and shutter speed, framing the subject in the scene, as well as other creative methods of taking a photo like panning, long exposure and zooming.

2. With subjects that you have no control over, be patient. It takes the most experienced photographers days or even weeks of waiting serendipitously to get their best shots of wildlife and nature. More than just "f/8 and be there", anticipate what kind of look you want of the subject and have your settings ready to shoot in an instant.

3. Shooting people takes a little intuition on how to pose them to bring out their character the most in portraiture. Try both candid and poised looks. Play around with your light source(s), whether natural or supplementary, and position your subjects in a way that flatters their profile and creates a dramatic effect to the portrait.

4. Children add an element of unpredictability and fast motion, which you have to work with. Combine point 2 with point 3!

5. Have fun in the process and make your subject also enjoy the shoot (where applicable!). Happy subject, happy photographer!

[Blacknight659]

In a sea of technical talk and passionate opinions, remember to take what you need and forget the rest. What we all need is original art that comes from YOU! You can learn a lot about settings and gear here, but remember to get out there and make something beautiful. Not every photo you take will win an award or become a masterpiece, but that photo is a little piece of you and was worth every step that led you to that frame.

Enjoy your family, Enjoy your life, and capture it all with Pentax.

[Joel B]

Buy at least one manual focus lens. Make it a prime. Several if you can find them cheap enough. No this is not a tip on LBA! Set your camera to manual and experiment. Use only the manual prime lens for a period of time like a day or a week. This set up will teach you the interactions of iso, aperture,focus and light like nothing else! Also using a prime instead of a zoom will get you to work the shot more instead of just relying on the mechanics of the lens. You could get a K1000 and do the same thing, but digital is instant!

Joel
P.S. Shooting manual can be great fun and a good way to advance your skills! Plus a way to justify lens purchases!

[PixelBucket]

Tip 1: If you shoot a landscape with a lake scene or similar and you are not sure if the horizon is straight, an indicator can be a prominent object reflecting on the surface of the water. If the object and its reflection form a parallel line to on the vertical edge of the picture/screen your image is likely to be straight. This of course depends on the shooting angle, so only works if the horizon is in the centre of the frame.

Tip 2: Getting knowledge from online resources is one good way to improve your skills and get ideas. However, another good way is to subscribe to a printed photo magazine or buy an issue from time to time. This helps to acquire knowledge and get away from the screen a bit. It's a more relaxed way of learning techniques and news of the world of photography.

[Imp]

Tip one and only: Stop reading this contest thread, and go out and take pictures!

I'm sorry, PF, I love you! Don't mean to hurt your feelings!

[r0ckstarr]

Birding tip. May apply to other aspects of your photography as well.
Regularly check your exposure. Lighting conditions change from tree to tree, or branch to branch. A cloud passing over will still change the amount of light you have in shadows.

[JeffBurns]

Exercise if you expect to keep up with the action.

[UserAccessDenied]

"..amateurs worry about equipment,
professionals worry about money,
masters worry about light,
I just take pictures..."
- Vernon Trent

My advice comes from my favorite quote above.
Stop worrying so much about the gear, the money, etc.

Get out there and shoot!