Composition

Composition is a fancy-schmancy word for how you decide what shows up in your pictures. The internet is rife with advice on the topic so I won't bore you with the details (I'll let the folks who created this content do that). I have learned a few simple lessons though that made my pictures better:

You can use software to fix pictures that have bad composition etc. I'll cover some of this later, but don't be too disappointed if a picture isn't exactly what you want. With enough patience, you can fix a lot of errors.

Rule of thirds: Google this yourself (or click the link) and read about it. To make it simple, don't always stick your subject(s) in the middle of the frame (this is a natural tendency that leads to boring pictures).

Implied motion: If the subject of the picture is in motion, leave a bigger gap ahead of it than behind it (and don't stick it in the middle). For whatever reason, this technique communicates motion to the person viewing the picture.

Get down to the level of kids to take their pictures. I'm a pretty tall guy and was taking too many pictures of scalps in the beginning.

Don't be afraid to get close for portrait shots. Some of my favorite pictures of my kids are taken from a foot away or so. Their whole head doesn't always fit in the picture!