1) Be friends with your camera.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the latest pro camera, but learn how to use it. You could be surprised about all what it can do. Read the manual… yes, it can be lame, but take it as an investment for future good pics.
2) Be creative and artistic.
There are certain general composition rules than can be followed:
The rule of thirds: Most photos look artistically superior if they are not symetrical. It is better to place the emphasis of the photo to one side or towards either the top or bottom of the photo. Composing the picture with the face to one side and in the top 1/3.
Other rules symmetry and patterns, viewpoint, background, depth, diagonals, textures and colors. The eyes/brain are attracted to repetitions, angles and colors. When looking at an image the viewer usually makes a “circular/oval eye movement”. If there are matching colors, or textures or a symmetry between two subjects, the viewer will be generally more attracted to a photo.
3) Don’t follow the rules.
Blurry pictures can be really interesting, or have a picture with almost no “depth of field” can be nice: the focus is on a small part of your subject and the background is all blurry. Also, you don’t have to put yourself in every picture. Landscapes are beautiful enough by themselves and your friends will still believe that you went on that trip.
4) Play with the point of view.
If you want to take a picture of an ancient monument, don’t be afraid to move around your subject and vary your positions. Jump on a bench, sit down, go around and take several pictures. Some will be different and more interesting.
5) Photo means light.
The lighting can make a great difference in the feeling of your picture. Taking pictures at noon on a bright sunny day is not the easiest. Shadows are harsh and unflattering. Use your flash as a filling light to get rid of the shadows or if you subject is facing against the light.
A cloudy day gives nice and diffused light. Use a white wall to reflect the light or a white ceiling to bounce your flash. A tripod can be a good tool too for self-portraits or in low light situations to avoid unwanted blurry pics.
6) Go further.
If your camera has a manual mode, go on and learn more about it: the effects of the ISO, the shutter speed and aperture. Using the manual mode will allow you to fully control your camera in almost every situation. You will then be controlling more the exposition of your pictures (exactly the right amount of light that hits the film/captor to expose the image correctly.).
You own a DSLR? Perfect! There is a world of lenses that you can explore.