Be familiar with the camera.
Understand the camera's manual and know what each control, switch or menu item does. Each camera is different. Flashes vary and focus depth may be different too. Carry out experiments by taking various shot in different positions. Try shooting using a flash, 2 feet away, or close up. Understand your camera's strengths and limitations and you will be able to choose the best location for a particular shot intuitively.
Take care of lens
Make sure the lens is clear of caps, thumbs or straps. These obstructions can ruin pictures taken.
Go outdoors
Natural sunlight generates superior pictures lighting, results in nearly all cases. Skin color is natural and can be affected by the strange colors produced from artificial lighting. Applying flash indoors may generate sharp contracts making faces appear too light with a fuzzy, dim background. You may even want to expirment with underwater cameras.
Use quality resolution
Set the camera resolution to take superior quality pictures at the greatest resolution possible. Low-resolution photos are hard to digitally modify. You may not be able to crop perfectly as you can with a greater-resolution image.
Examine your background
At times a picture's background is more significant for composition than the foreground or center of focus. Keep the background simple so that the picture stands out. Ensure there are no elements that might distract such as poles or trees twigging on an individual's head.
Before shooting, check for objects that may obliquely affect your photo. In case of a glass or reflective wall behind your focus, shot at a trivial angle while applying flash. Do not focus your camera directly at the sun except if you are well experienced in taking pictures in full eclipse mode.
Take more pictures
The main benefit of a digital camera work is the capacity to take thousands of pictures. Just save your photos on a personal computer in case your camera memory card is full and keep on shooting! You can decide to erase images that do not satisfy you later. With advanced software abilities, you can be able to combine the best parts of various pictures for an original work of art.
Focus
Inadequate focusing is the major reason for bad pictures. Apply automatic focus of your camera. This is done by half-pressing shutter button. Apply the macro mode for extremely close-up snaps. Never focus manually unless your auto-focus is not working. Automatic focusing produces better results than manual focusing!
Use a tripod
To take sharper images, use a tripod when snapping in low light or if you have natural shaky hands. If the light is less, the shutter needs to open more times to allow in light and expose the snap. For reviews of tripods, visit http://www.camera-reviews.com.
Experiment with filters
You can get richer colors and tones by using the appropriate filters. Polarizers reduce reflections and for more contrast use haze filters.
Try interesting angles
You may try looking down to the object, bending or looking up instead of snapping straight. Choose an angle that reveals maximum color and shadow. A low angle can help make an image appear long or tall. In case you need a bold picture, be even with the object. An exceptional angle produces interesting images.