As an instructor, I try to give as many tips as possible for getting good shots of a single subject.

Here's an example for bird photography: one photo - ten quick tips. You will find more detailed tips in my KelbyOne on-line class, Breathtaking Bird Photography. Info on this page.

1 - Expose for the highlights - shoot with your highlight alert and histogram activated.
2 - Look for separation - isolate the subjects in a scene.
3 - Focus - make sure the eye is in sharp focus.
4 - See the light - make sure the eyes are well lit.
5 - Use the AI Servo (focus tracking) mode - this mode tracks moving subjects for sharp shots.
6 - Set your shutter - for birds-in-flight photos, use a shutter speed of at least 1/1000th sec. For swimming bird photos, use a shutter speed of at least 1/250th sec.
7 - Pay attention to your aperture - make sure what you want in focus is in focus.
8 - Sharpen selectively - don't sharpen the entire image. Sharpen only the main subject (s) in your photograph.
9 - Crop creatively - crop out boring areas of the scene.
10 - Know your subject - knowing/understanding animal behavior will help you get great shots.

Explore the light,
Rick