[RogerTheCat]

It depends what you want to photograph but there are some rules that work for me:

1.Research. The more you know about a subject the better. This will increase you chances of success. I spend a lot of time on the net or reading books researching my subjects. This year I got my first ever picture of dragonflies emerging because I read up on when this happened.

2.Good contacts are another thing, a friend of mine is a keen surfer and knows when the best waves are about and tips me off about the best photo opportunities.

3.Rather than visiting lots of different venues I tend to concentrate my efforts at a few locations and get to know them very well. As a result for example I know with some certainty where to find dragonflies in the summer and mushrooms in the autumn

4.The more time you are out and about with a camera the higher the probability you will find a good picture

5.Do not get hung up on the latest kit. It is nice to have the latest and shiniest gizmos but it is only as good as the person using it.