OTHER USEFUL STUFF
There’s no limit to the amount of useful stuff out there and you don’t need to have and bring the kitchen sink out with you on your shoots.
When Christmas or any other Family Event (birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s or Father’s Day etc) are coming it’s a good time to consider what accessories you should have in your camera bag. (It's never any harm to leave camera magazines opened at the page where the next piece of equipment you'd like strategically placed around the house for the family to get the hint. Worth a try).
For landscapes, inflatable sheep and clouds are essential, as well as the obligatory woman in a red dress that the judges always bang on about not being in the picture to add a point of interest to an landscape.
Chain saws and angle grinders are useful for removing trees and telegraph poles, but you will need a heavy duty angle grinder to tackle the high voltage pylons for the high voltage power lines.
But seriously, subscribing to Photography magazines, either through your newsagent or online, will give you a wealth of information.
Joining a Camera Club will seriously improve your photography, as you will be able to “pick the brains” of other members and gain from their experiences.
Attend talks and exhibitions of other photographers work and consider entering your pictures in the many competitions open to the general public.
Share your knowledge - of events which may be of interest to other photographers, of good places to purchase equipment or to visit, of your own experiences on holidays, at sporting events and so on.
Ask questions - remember, “Every day’s a school day”, and there’s no such thing as a stupid question. The only stupid question is the one you didn't ask.
Seek out people with similar interests and equipment.
Ask, ask, ask - what’s the worst that can happen? Ordinary people are often better able to explain things in plain English than the “experts” who normally lapse into “techno-babble” and jargon filled explanations, which can bamboozle you.