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Keep images free of clutter and decide on a focal point
The smaller the finished photograph will be in the end, the harder it is to recognize little details.
Keep people close by
Decide if you would like to take a picture of a person or a city square. Your loved ones should not disappear in the background. Take two pictures instead.
Focus on details
This could be a flower, an interesting store sign, a street artist, a beautiful door, a still life, a billboard.
Don't shoot directly into the sunlight ...
... still applies. Daytime sunlight in the background creates too much contrast. The desired object will then show up very dark.
The above images were taken the same day at the same spot. It beautifully illustrates how shooting into direct sunlight darkens everything around the sunburst.
Embrace cloudy skies
Nothing adds more drama to a picture than a cloudy sky.
Capture cultural differences
This especially applies when you travel abroad: street signs, billboards, markets, cab line-ups, a busy intersection, a shop window, and of course people.
Stay alert
Have your camera with you and ready to shoot. Some photo opportunities come and go very fast.
Go close
Unless it enhances the composition, don't include too much background. The above image is about two ladies chatting in the rain and not the sceenery.
Be patient
Sometimes it takes a while until everything is in focus the way you really would like it.
Be quiet
You get the best snap shots from people who don't realize that they are being watched through a lens.
Add a spin
to the common objects by trying more than one angle. Not every subject always has to be photographed from the front. Take more than one picture.
Find the unexpected
Funny pictures can add some humour to a collection. This could be found on a mural, newspaper headline, or maybe a funny street name.
Before you press the button, quickly check in the view finder if nothing is cut off.
And in the end don't be shy to delete photographs which are uninspiring, but save the ones you love in a book, DVD, or online.
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