How to Use a Tripod
A good sturdy Tripod will revolutionise your photography more than any other accessory you can buy! Shots like this which need a slow shutter speed simply can't be done without one.
A good tripod will help you improve your composition, give you time to think about exposure and depth of field. They'll eliminate camera shake - and some images like blurry waterfalls are simply not possible without a tripod.
Forget about the latest gadgets, professional lenses and camera bodies with extra mega pixels because I promise you none of them will have any impact on your photography. A slight (almost imperceptible) improvement in image quality maybe - but they won't make a jot of difference to the creativity of your images. And it's the creativity of composition and light that makes them exciting.
Admittedly they do slow you down but this us great because it gives you time to think through what you're doing which will lead you to the camera settings you need to use. Also once you've got your composition lined up with horizon perfectly level etc. You can lock it there and that bit of works done. You can forget it and don't even have to look through the viewfinder when you take the photo.