A good photographing technique will give you sharper images and more pleasant results. And if you're photographing birds and wildlife, all you need is the right attitude and a bit of preparation to give you plenty of opportunities for that perfect shot! You could do with a bit of luck as well, but unfortunately I cannot help you with that... Here are a few tips:

• Support the camera by using a good tripod, monopod, beanbag, brick wall, fence or anything that will keep it still. If you really have no other option than to handhold the camera, tuck your elbows firmly into your side before gently squeezing the shutter release.

• Use Mirror Lock-Up prior to releasing the shutter to eliminate the vibration caused by the mirror when it moves up to take the actual picture.

• Use a cable release to eliminate the unwanted camera movement caused by your finger pressing the shutter release button.

• Don't hammer the shutter release button. Instead, take a deep breath and hold it, and then squeeze it gently.

• Use the fastest possible shutterspeed, while preserving the necessary Depth of Field for your shot.

• Time the shot carefully to avoid subject movement.

• If you're not absolutely sure about that last shot, take another one, and another!

Composition is not only about how the subject is framed. There's a lot more to it: Patterns, lines, colors, the subjects "pose", the foreground, the background and the Depth of Field. Have a look at the following to improve your compositions:

• Don't take just one shot, take a whole bunch! The more you shoot, the bigger the chance of that one shot where everything comes together.

• When photographing animals, aim for a background that is nothing more than a smooth blur. That way the subject stands out and there's nothing in the background to distract the eye.

• A blurred background is all about Depth of Field (DOF). A smoother and more blurred background can be achieved in three ways: Fill the frame with the subject, the larger the subject appears in the viewfinder, the more limited the DOF will be and the more blurred the background will appear. Open up your lens, the larger the aperture (the smaller the f-stop number), the more limited the DOF. Look for an angle with plenty of space between subject and background, the greater the distance between them, the smoother the background will appear.

• Use the Depth of Field preview button if your camera has one!

• When photographing landscapes, most people use wideangle lenses. And that's fine, because these lenses are well suited for that task. But why not try something else? For instance in a scenery with beautiful mountains in the background, use a telephoto lens and watch those mountains stand out and appear much closer to you. Experiment!

• When composing, try to keep in mind that you'll want to draw the viewer's eyes into the image and that the eyes are drawn to the point where lines converge.

• Don't put the horizon or other important lines smack in the middle of the frame. Instead, try to put those lines at roughly a third of the frame.

Birds and wildlife by definition are afraid of us. We are their enemies! So if we want to make a good photograph, we have to create the opportunity ourselves. We have to make sure the animal either is not able to see or smell us, or at least does not feel threatened by us.

• Try to be invisible. Use darkish clothing with green, brown or grey colors. Let your clothes depend on the environment you're in. You might think this is obvious, but I've seen my share of bright orange and white t-shirts!

• Shhhhhtt! Do not talk, do not sing, do not make any noise! Just shut up and listen!

• Try the catwalk! Move a couple of meters forward, then stop and listen! Another couple of meters, stop and listen... I usually go from tree to tree, keeping the wind in my face.

• Keep your camera switched on, ready to be used! Or do you think the animal will be waiting for you, ticking its nails rythmically on the ground, while you're desperately trying to get your camera into action?

• Try to learn as much as possible about your subjects. It helps a lot if you know something about their behaviour, special habits, when and where they feed, etcetera. Birds are often very difficult to find, especially the smaller ones. So learn the sounds they make!

• You can create great opportunities using a feeder. Position the feeder near a tree or some bushes. Birds usually land there first before they actually go to the feeder, and that's a more natural place to photograph them.

• ETHICS, ETHICS, ETHICS!! Please do not disturb the animals as you try to approach them. Do not make that photograph "at all cost"!

The last and most important piece of advice I can give you is to learn from other photographers! Read everything there is to read about photography. Look closely at the images other photographers made. Why do (or don't) you like that image, what's good about it, what's not? You should "feel" something when you look at a photograph. A good photographer always tries to capture the mood. If he or she succeeded, try to learn from it!