I'll offer one tip – and I know your additional tips will bring this list up to 10 and more.
1. Make sure your tripod is actually settled on the surface it's planted on. This might be a greater concern among landscapers like myself in regions of deep-damp-loose humus (see image below) – for example, in mature forests of firs, hemlocks, and redwoods. Often I'll push my spiked Ries down, down, down – as far as I think it'll go – to produce the stability I need; but all too often, my images suggest it was
still sinking/settling at shutter click. (Most of the time, just an extra push on each leg and final push on the head would have arrested the tripod; other times, one leg needs to go much deeper than the other two.) Also, just adding the camera plus lens, adjusting the head, applying camera movements, attaching film holders, and removing dark slides can loosen the tripod's stability in these conditions, so I try to stay mindful about these actions too – even as my thoughts turn to composition, accessories, and metering. Let's just say that from set-up to take-down, I've learned to keep "tripod" on my mind to some degree, no matter what task is at hand.
On to tips #2, #3, #4...
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