10 Advanced Photo Tips

"There is a fine line between a photo that is quite nice and one that is quite breathtaking. At some unknown point, a photo can cross the Rubicon and be forever a piece of beautiful art. That hinterland between a regular photo and evocative art is a shifting area from person to person and taste to taste. However, that zone can be narrowed a bit once you start to consider the way the brain stores memories and emotions."

This article discusses the artistic process in creating remarkable photos and has stunning photos as examples.  However, the best 10 tips I ever received were from an old boy scout magazine:

Boy Scout's Magazine, Rules to taking good pictures

1. Keep it simple. Shoot only what is important to the image.
2. Get close.
3. Get rock steady.
4. Light it. If photographing a person, use the flash whether indoors or outdoors.
5. Keep it natural. No forced poses.
6. Rule of thirds. Divide the picture in a 3x3 grid. Put your subject at the intersection of two lines, not the very center.
7. Keep your background clean. No light poles out of the subject's head.
8. Golden hour. Shoot during the beautiful golden hour after sunrise and before sunset.
9. Move around. Move in, out and all around your shots. Don't shoot from the same angle.
10. Frame your subject. Use trees, rocks, etc. to add visual interest to your subject.