Use a tripod: A common mistake people make is taking pictures that are anything but sharp due to the lack of a tripod. Although the photo may look sharp on your camera screen, it may not be when blown up on a computer screen. One trick I use to check if the pictures are sharp is to zoom in as far as you can on your camera viewer. This may shed some light on the sharpness of your photo.

Tripods can cost anywhere from $20 to a few hundred dollars or more. The more you spend the better your tripod will be so invest wisely or you may find yourself looking for a new tripod a year or so down the road. A cheap tripod will not only make it hard to follow moving objects smoothly but it may not even hold your camera stable when taking stationary photographs. One alternative to a tripod is a monopod.
Monopods can serve their purpose in the outdoor photography field. They are quick, agile, and light which is great for shooting in the outdoors. Although monopods will not replace the stability of a tripod, they definitely have their place among anyone’s camera gear.

Shoot in the right Light: Everyone proficient in photography techniques knows that lighting can turn a boring scene into a work of art. Don’t ever underestimate the importance of shooting under the right light conditions. The first hour of sunlight and the last hour of sunlight are known as the “golden hours.” These are the times when the color of the world seems to come alive. At this time colors seem to be at their richest and deepest tones. Mid-day sun often washes out colors; unless there is some type of good cloud cover, mid-day shooting won't often produce great photos. However, I have found that macrophotography still seems to work fairly well if you can find good shadows, or an area where light is being reflected.

A second highly beneficial part of the golden hours is that this is when wildlife tends to be most active. It’s not from pure habit that most hunters start and end their day in the woods. Most wildlife, especially game animals, stay hidden midday, not only to avoid the heat of the sun but to avoid humans. This is also the best time to catch nocturnal animals.

Use a good flash: Like my last tip says, lighting is almost everything in taking good photos. Natural light, as well as unnatural light, can make an ordinary photograph brilliant. Flash can sometimes be a tricky thing to master. One of the main downfalls of using flash is that it can make the photograph look fake or blown out. Generally, the trick in using flash is to use it without having the photograph look like it was used.

Flash can be used in a variety of artistic ways but generally a photographer will use it to fill in shadows or to overall lighten the main subject, making it stand out from the background. Most flashes are either built into the camera or an accessory attached to the camera. The flash that is permanently connected to the camera can serve its purpose but will not take the place of an additional flash that has a much further reach. While the original flash on a camera can reach only a few yards, a good bright flash can reach 20 yards or more.

A good flash is basically a must when shooting wildlife because many times the animal is so far away that the original flash on a camera is useless. Don’t ever underestimate the use of flash; there is a reason that professional have those large black things sitting on top of their cameras!

Meter the object in the frame that is the most midtoned: I have taken many photos of dark animals, leaving me with nothing but a washed-out photograph. A photograph will turn out best if it is metered correctly. Always look for the most “grey-colored” or the most mid-tone subject to meter.