Deciding Which Transition to Use

One problem I find with some novice editors is implementing the wrong transition. What I mean is not so much the wrong transition but that there are better transitions to choose from, depending on what's happening with the video. For instance, if in the incoming shot the camera is panning from left to right, you don't want the transition to start from the right and move left. This creates tension with the movement and tends to look awkward. Granted, this might be the effect you're looking for. Or, do you even need an applied effect? Will a natural cut work best? There really are no rules. Just see what looks right and feels comfortable. There might also be situations where you want to break up a transition's flow because everything is constantly moving in one direction and needs a break so that the video doesn't get boring. You decide.