The IS makes this a great lens to learn wide shooting with because you can experiment off tripod and still get good shots if the light is decent. Like Private says, the foreground makes or breaks the shot, so walk around and try lots of angles and use the camera high and low to get nice compositions. If you find one you like, lock it down on a tripod and finalize the shot. The real key is patience and practice, and don't get discouraged, the shots will come. For man made stuff, keep it level to look realistic, or tilt it up or down to get the unique perspective you can only get with wide lenses. For outdoor shots, flowers, foliage (palmettos work well here), and water can make interesting foregrounds, and if you find some
really tame wildlife, get up close and shoot the animal with the environment. Just don't get too close to some of the wildlife here in our state
.
Also, if you get up this way, be sure to check out St. Marks NWR, Ochlockonee SP, and St. George Island SP. If you want to get way off the beaten path, check out Aucilla Sinks WMA. It's a few miles of dirt roads to get there, but it's truly wild and there are some really unique geological features. Finally Apalachicola National Forest has some really unique savannahs with wildflowers and carnivorous plants. There's no cell service there, however, so keep that in mind.
