* Position key parts of your subject on the "thirds" of a picture.

* A good picture should "tell a story" immediately.

* Crop! Crop! Crop! What doesn't help hinders.

* Get in close to your subject. Fill the frame (but remember cut-off by viewfinder and processors).

* Watch out for distractions on the edge of the picture eg light patches, electric sockets, fire extinguishers etc.

* Light: early morning or late evening often best. Don't be afraid of shooting against the light.

* Advancing (warm) & receding (cool) colours - use them to your advantage.

* Try framing the picture with trees, arches, or other shapes.

* Use differential focus - to "lose" backgrounds or foregrounds.

* Use natural lines to "lead the eye in" to key parts of the picture.

* Consider using portrait format, not always landscape.

* You can "lose" a boring middle ground with a low viewpoint.

* Pack couples or groups closely together in posed people pictures.

* In landscapes, look for some foreground interest, eg perhaps a boulder or a person, to give depth to the picture.

* Don't have skylines right in the middle of a picture. Keep them level!

* If you have a boring plain sky, include only a bare minimum of it.