I do documentary-style photography. My philosophy runs toward the simplistic. A photographer has two things under her control: where to stand and when to release the shutter. I work hard at getting myself in the right spot, and I shoot a lot of frames once I get there. 
Once you get the technology down it’s really a numbers game. If you want good pictures of elephants, you’d better be willing to go to Africa of Asia or the zoo, and once you get there, shoot a lot of frames. You might end up with a few good pictures of elephants.
I use a Canon 20D. I have a couple good lenses, one wide angle and one telephoto. They serve well for what I do. I generally take photos along with shooting video when I’m on an assignment, so I don’t carry more lenses than I need to cover the material I’m after. I create shot lists and stick to them. I shoot a lot of frames, but I work hard at staying on target.
My plan is to drop many of my photos into PhotoShelter and then blend that site into this site some day soon. I plan to donate profits from my photography to raise funds for people in need of safe water. All that takes time, and right now I’m preparing for a trip to Ethiopia to shoot pictures and film for Water1st International.