When you see a scene you'd like to photograph, spend an extra
minute figuring out what it is that makes it interesting. Is it the
quality of light shining through an open window? Is it the deep
lines scrawled on a person's face? Devote a little extra effort to
capturing that aspect, and you'll improve immediately.
At the same time, don't hesitate or edit your options before you
even take the picture. If you see an image you like, trust your gut
and shoot first, reconsider later. You can always buy more film.
Over time you'll combine these practices and your picture taking
will become more instinctual.
Understand Composition
It's not just your subject, but rather the relationship between all
the different elements, shapes, and colors in the frame that
dictate the tone and mood of a picture. Placing your subject
directly in the center of the frame is the single most common
mistake made in amateur travel photography. Mentally divide your
frame into quadrangles, or even smaller segments, and pay attention
to the borders of these areas. Try putting your subject, whether
it's Aunt Vera or the
Eiffel Tower, in a corner, using the
remainder of the space to show the surrounding context and tell a
story.
When photographing people, don't crop rudely. Putting their face in
the middle of the frame means you might leave a disproportionate
amount of blue sky above them, and cut the bottom of the picture
off at their chest. Crop at your subject's waist, or step back to
include their feet. If you're up close, crop them just below the
shoulders.
Pay attention to scale, too. Your final picture will look just like
it does through your camera, so don't be lazy. Walk closer to cut
out the excess scene you don't want to include, or use a zoom lens
to home in on your subject. Also, explore different perspectives.
Try kneeling, or even shooting from ground level. Sometimes
standing on a chair, or some other el-evated stance can help you
include some essential elements that help make the scene all that
more magical.