This tip will help you create an eye-pleasing composition: don't center your subject. Imagine a 3x3 grid. Put the important elements along the lines and where they intersect, which brings more attention to the picture than centering would.
Avoid shooting into direct sunlight. Doing this is not only harsh, it creates unwanted dark shadows, and may make human subjects squint. Generally, it's best to take your photos in the morning after sunrise and right before sunset. But if you must take photos in direct sunlight, here are two simple -to-follow tips: (1) try to set things up so your subjects don't have to look into the sun, and (2) turn on your flash. Yes, even in the daytime. It will fill in shadows and produce a better exposure.
Panoramas are breathtaking. But sometimes the most memorable pictures are taken not of an entire subject, but a small area of the subject - an intricate pattern on a door frame, dew on a blade of grass, a child's eyes. These can have more impact. You can use your camera's flower mode for sharper close ups. When you have more than one subject in the photo, think about how to arrange them for greater interest. Adobe suggests you try to target a clean background: cluttered backgrounds distract from highlighting the subjects, while plain backgrounds help emphasize your subjects. And remember to take some vertical shots. The world isn't only horizontal!
Once you're home, you can turn your vacation photo portfolio into something a pro would be proud of. The beauty of imaging tools such as Adobe Photoshop Elements is that you can focus on capturing the moment, and let the software do the rest. Today's consumer photo editing software can help you fix flaws, adjust colors and transform photos to get the perfect shot.
Now that your photos look great, you're going to want to share them. But before you do, you may want to enhance with effects, text, or graphics - creating an entertaining viewing experience. Slideshows are one popular way to organize and show off your photos. And you can even mix in a bit of video to take full advantage of the video capture feature of your new camera. Other ways to showcase your shots include photobooks, scrapbooks, greeting cards, and calendars.