I was recently asked to photograph a celestial event for a friend -- one that occurs only every 18 years. I was thrilled but also a little apprehensive. I'd have one shot to get it right.

I made a list of everything I needed. And I checked it again and again as the day approached. But, as luck would have it (or lack thereof), things didn't go according to plan.

The day before the big event, I took my camera and tripod out for a normal day of shooting. The camera returned home with me. The tripod didn't. It was essential for the shots we wanted to get -- a long sequence showing the moon rising and its path across the sky for a half hour.

No problem, I've got a "backup" tripod. But, I realized in the field that I didn't know how to use it. Luckily, the manipulation of a tripod is not ...