Know your kit like the back of your hand

Sam Furlong is a photojournalist working out of the South West of England for the UK's national press. If you read any of the UK national newspapers you probably see Sam's work on a daily basis without realising it.

See www.sfotos.co.uk for more information.

Here's why he thinks knowing your kit well is one of the most important things you can do:

"This is something that only comes with experience but in pressured situations knowing your gear can be the difference between getting a shot or not. Know it like an extension of your own body, know instinctively which way the focus and zoom rings go, which way the input dials go and which way is which when scrolling through ISO or WB settings. If you know your gear inside out then you can stop thinking about how to do this and that and concentrate on the pictures. Do not chop and change your kit too often, learn to use what you have before buying more. Appreciate it's strengths and limitations and tailor your shooting accordingly. At events like the Weston beach race where all the bikes ride straight at you, you do not have time to think about camera settings, you need to shoot and get out of the way."