Useful Tips
Most of the following tips apply mainly to landscape photography, but some of them are universally applicable...
Be Prepared
Have your camera with you as much as possible, you never know when that golden sunset will hit the clouds just right. Be careful though - if you are going to leave your gear in the boot of your car make sure it is insured and has unattended vehicle cover.
Use a Tripod
When you are going for that front-to-back sharpness and clarity in a landscape image, it can never be stressed enough just how important a tripod is. Having your camera on a sturdy mount will allow you to work slower shutter speeds (good for shots with water in them) and also smaller apertures (essential for front-to-back sharpness).
Bracket Your Exposures
Don't expect your camera's light meter to get it right first time everytime; insure yourself against those tricky lighting situations by taking three shots, one at the metered reading and one below and above (say two thirds of a stop to one stop either way).
Good Presentation
Present your photographs well - Don't just print your digital photographs on plain old photocopier paper straight from the camera, or stick all your prints in a £2.99 album from Boots. If you use film and like a particular picture, get it blown up and framed. Look closely at your digital images, use an image editor to spot out any dusts marks, apply sharpening and borders to the final image and send it to an online or digital print shop.
Above all of these tips, the best route to better photographs is experience - get out there with your camera and take photos!
