Rich: Thank you very much. I am by no means an accomplished photographer and continue to learn regularly. I do take a lot of shots to find that single good one. I also sometimes use bracketing to find the best lighting settings. Check your OM if not familiar with this feature. The use of this crutch in itself shows that I am no photographer and don't have the ability to look at a potential shot and throw my camera into full manual with a good understanding of what settings will achieve a certain desired look. Again, I'm still in the learning process. So, aside from the already mentioned shutting down of the pumps, I'd say use a good tripod and get the remote shutter accessory so as to not move the camera during the shoot. Always clean your glass prior to shooting and always shoot with the lens perpendicular to the glass. I also shoot in the highest resolution just below RAW as I often crop the photos. Oh... and know your way around Photoshop.
So for me, I'd say it's 50% camera/lens, 40% perseverance/patience/luck and 10% photographic ability.
Joseph