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

From time to time here on my blog I'll run a post: Friday's "Photo Failed It Photo To Nailed It!" The concept is twofold:
1) I'll share a pair of pictures, along with tips, that illustrate how you can nail a shot;
2) You'll see that pros don't always get it right the first time. :-)

This post: Capture a Bird in Flight (BIF).

I took the opening photograph on one of my Alaska photo workshops. I feel as though I nailed the shot because:
• I had the focus point set on the gull;
• Auto focus was set to AI Servo - which tracks a moving subject;
• I got a good exposure – by checking my histogram and highlight alert;
• My camera was set at high-speed continuous shooting.
• I captured animal behavior;
• I was in the right location for the right light;
• The background was not distracting;
• And . . . I was damn lucky to get a perfect silhouette of the gull's head on its wing.

The funny thing about the photograph: the gull did not "nail it." He dropped the fish after a brief catch!

My gear for the shot:
Canon 5D Mark III
Canon 100-400mm IS lens.
Exposure Info: ISO 640, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec., exposure compensation: -0.33 (to preserve the highlights while shooting on the Av mode).

Above is one of my Failed It shots from the same shoot. The failure was caused because:
• My camera was accidentally set on One Shot AF;
• I did not have the focus point set on the gull:
• My camera was not set on continuous shooting.

See what happens when you "shoot before you think" - and don't double check your camera settings! :-)