Like someone said above, since being on this forum (and just as a natural progression through the years, getting more and more into photography) I do tend to think more about my shots. Certainly more than I did this time last year. And there's still a long way to go and things to factor in. But I'm the type of clown who always has a billion things on my mind, ranging from completely insignificant things to pretty insignificant things, and some of my common lapses in thinking result in the following:

- Just over a month ago I decided to go out and shoot some waterfalls/streams in the national park about 40mins from home. I get there in a flurry of excitement, get out the car and WHOOSHKA! I'd actually left my tripod at home. Of all the things to foget with such photos in mind. Anyway, that cost me $120 as I went to the "local" Harvey Norman and just bought a new tripod instead of going home. Not an entirely bad thing because I severely needed an upgrade and if I wasn't married I'd consider marrying my new tripod because of how awesome it is.

- The bloody screw on Gradual ND filters. The amount of times I've had the dark half set for landscape shots and taken a portrait shot, and vice versa... you'd think a brother would learn. Maybe one day, but still not there yet.

- The couple of times in my life I have tried my hand at Manual Focus. Each time so far I have left it on MF and switched the camera off, only to find when I'm halfway through taking exciting shots later on, that I wonder why there's no beeping and the boxes aren't focusing on anything. I know it sounds inconceivable, but that's me. As recently as 2 weeks ago I did this. Unbelievable.

- In the Av mode I often am in the middle of shooting landscapes when I see a nice flower or rock or animal and set my aperture down to 3.5 or the like, then get re-focused and return to shooting landscapes, only to find out later that I left the aperture on 3.5.

But I think I am getting better, I hope. Sadly, the times when I make the silliest mistakes are during moments like sunrises when I only have a tiny window of opportunity anyway. But I think it's because of the short window of time that I get a bit hurried and don't always think everything through sensibly. Right when I'd like to be at my sharpest.