You guys really do amazing photography. The difference from an amature to a professional is really huge. We are going on a very big "trip" this winter. ie huge waterfalls, lots of wild animals etc. Can you give me any advice about how to get the best pictures? Our daughter has been doing a lot of research and just bought a refurbished Nikon for the trip. Thanks! Keith
Thanks for the comment. Congrats on the refurbished gear.
Waterfalls are fun to shot, tripods are a must if you want slow shutter speeds to slow the water movement, if you are in bright sun then a ND filter is a MUST to slow the water movement and expose the sky correctly. A camera release sometimes is needed to avoid moving the camera. The tripod will also assist in panorama shots. Remember to always level the camera when do waterfalls, landscape,etc.
Wildlife is a bit harder, use the longest reach you can in terms of a lens for most birds. Try to isolate the subject and not have a lot of distracting elements in the shot. If you can't get close enough try to get the animal with some interesting environment. Practice, practice and more practice is the best teacher with wildlife. Birds in flight is very hard at first but keep at it and it will become natural.
I use my cameras in manual mode, this will get the best results once you learn the camera. Read the manual and try to understand the functions. They are complicated pieces of equipment today and are capable of a lot. Try to practice first before the trip, if will make the trip much easier and enjoyable then getting all stressed over the camera.
The biggest mistake I see people make is not have the batteries charged, no room on memory cards, leaving the settings on the camera the same for all pictures.
Enjoy the trips, they sound fun. I will be more than happy to answer questions she has. My email is (e-mail address removed) if she or you prefer the phone PM me and I will give you my number.
I will not be able to answer directly about Nikon because I never shot with one but I can give the equivalent of Canon