Well, accurately speaking, the Nikon D100 is an advanced amateur camera. The professional Nikon Digital SLRs run about 4500 dollars just for the camera body. The Nikon D100 is a relative steal at 2000 dollars for the body. The main advantage is the quality of the flash I can use and the myriad of interchangeable lenses that are very high quality.
But the big secret is that I take lots and lots of pictures and I probably post only 1 in 5.
Just like any serious hobby..... You have practice and know what happens during the show so that you are prepared to get the shot you want.....
I sat through two parades and watched a my video from last year of the Celebrate the Season show.
But sometimes, I am just lucky.....