Some really great tips here!

What I learned when I got semi-serious about photography is that the key is to take lots and lots and lots of pictures. Even if you think you got the shot, I always try to take some more just to be safe. You'll quickly realize that only taking a couple of pictures just doesn't cut it. When I first started I would get very discouraged because most of my shots I didn't like. Well it was because I just wasn't taking enough. Now that I take a ton, I get a lot more decent usable pictures.