I shoot event and sports most of the time. My chief assignment is shots of the fans but I do shoot college football. I use video on my Joby tripod to capture pre-game activity on the field. I then shoot shots with my 2nd camera. Having the video opens my options for designing my slideshows and for catching images of the team entering the field running through"fog" and pyrotechnics from a very low productive.
Give the video a try.

D7000. Having shot with both Canon and Nikon, Nikon wins. I have a D7000 & D 60. The tonal range leaves Canon way behind. The D7000 out performs Canon. you might want to look at the D600 & D800 if you want full frame Go Nikon ....

Use a monopod to steady that camera. Get in on the action - anyone can just take a snapshot put a truly great sports shot puts you on the field. Carry a wide angle and a long telephoto. Your lens seems to get you as close as you are able to be from the stands - just learn to moe in on the action. Also panning is a great technique to learn. Know the sport and how the plays unfold - such as football, is it a running play or a pass. Where is the action taking place? Get in on the action. If you can get on the sidelines, even once, do so. BE CAREFUL sidelines are dangerous places. If you are not quick with your eyes and reactions you can end up on your butt and possibly hurt. Good luck and stay focused on capturing a story telling action shot ... makes a huge difference when you see those shots post production. Get a few great ones and the local or school newspaper might like them.

Have used Nikon softwarea nd was impressed. Love the cameras but I would stick with Adobe either PSE10 or CS5. I just upgraded to CS5 for my complex and creative edits. I use PSE10 for quick editing and most shots that I don't want ot really do much with. PSE gives you 3 options for editing depending on whether you want quick, guided, or full editing. Also, check into the educational discounts ... see if you know a teacher or student who will use their academic credentials to purchase the software at steep discount. They can only buy one license for each title so make sure they don't need their own copy. Journey Ed is a good site to use for the academic/government/military discounts. I also like Lightroom 3.

Work during the golden hours - sunrise into the first hours of the day and sunset. During the day the sun and water require filtering - I use a polarizer all the time over a UV filter to shoot during those days in the bright sun. I also get down low and angle up slightly to capture subjects inthe sun. Look around for objects that diffuse the light ... umbrellas etc. And watch the positon of the sun ... are there clouds coming into play ... on storm or rain days watch for rainbows and interesting cloud formations. Aim for the ground to capture reflections in the sand and shallow wate after waves receed. Pratice capturing waves when they crest, interesting splashes against rocks, check out the tiny sea creatures hidden in jetty's... macro shots can be interesting. Watch your horizon - get it straight! Also when shooting wide , ask yourself what is the focus of the shot, what makes it unique and interesting? And look for leading lines in long shots ... find a way to lead the viewer to the area of interest. Experiment with pushing your camera to its limits - higher ISO, higher speed, f-stops changes.

Sand- take a soft camera brush and something to blow the sand of your camera. I use a a rocket blaster and always carry lens solution plus a claening kit. Wipe down everythign after you finish for the day. You might also carry a plastic bag or camera wet jacket with you - protect your equipment.

Bring extra shoes and socks - hot sand and hot rocks are really hard to work on. If you get your shoes soaked who cares ... get in the water and get the shot!

Good luck!

Deeise Wachter Jones Photography 2011