Know your camera. Complete familiarity with your camera’s buttons and menu settings can be essential for getting “the shot”. Photographic opportunities are often fleeting, and you’re likely to miss the shot unless you can make any required adjustments in a hurry.
When photographing weddings and other events where you absolutely must end up with some great images, get there early and take some test shots. Find out exactly which lens and camera settings you need to use in order to capture the best images at that venue and under that lighting.
Also, be sure to take at least two memory cards along with you and swap them out frequently while you’re shooting. Better yet, use two cameras. There is nothing worse than having to tell a bride that you lost her wedding photos because your memory card went kaput!
Take lots of pictures! Try photographing the subject(s) from several different angles using several different camera settings, taking several photos each time. This goes double if you’re photographing people because it can be a bit difficult capturing everyone with smiles on their faces and their eyes open. If you take enough pictures, it is virtually guaranteed that you’ll end up with several great ones.
Always be learning. The more you know about photography and your particular camera model, the better your pictures will end up being when you go out shooting. A great way to get started is by studying the manual that came with your camera and reading some of the better photography how-to books and magazines that are available at you local bookstore.