Thank you for the great article, so do I need to get a dog for photos like that? :D
I love long exposure photography, but here in Germany I fail to find lakes and waterfalls for the really great captures so most of my photography is actually from my travels where I am traveling very light and don't carry a tripod..
I have taken many long exposure shots without a tripod, but I probably should get a light one for my next trip.
Thanks for the great shots and Merry Christmas!