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To start with a photograph has a clear subject, a theme, no distractions, and proper exposure. A photographic theme is a universal message to commuinicate with others. Meaning, who looks at the picture will know what the photograph is all about. Focus attention on the main subject in the frame. Pay close attention to the subject. Draw the viewer into the picture.
Simplify. Include only the necessary objects in the picture with the subject, making sure the viewer is not drawn away from the subject. The easiest way to maximize this would be to zoom in as close as you can and fill the entire frame with the subject without loosing any main componets of the subject.
The placement of the subject is important to consider. Try not to always have your subject in the center. To find the proper placement of the subject, imagine the frame is in three verticle parts, place your subject on one of the divisions. The subject should be on the left(but not to far) or on the right(but not to far), you don not want to cut the subject out of the frame.
Be a little more artistic with the camera by framing your subject with objects around the subject. Look for a way to naturally include something at the top and bottom of your subject, or even on the top, to the left(or right), and at the bottom of your subject. For instance, if you are out walking through the woods and a tree branches out to the left and right leaving a V-shape, and there is a deer in the V-shape. Take the shot! That is framing.
Look to see if you have the entire body of the subject in your frame, unless you are doing a head shot. Look again and see if anything looks disproportioned(i.e. over sized nose or feet). Check again to make sure there are no lense flares, color spots in your viewfinder(avoid this by using a lense hood), or heavy shadows.
Now that you have the subject the way you want to see it through your viewfinder, its time to check your camera settings. Is your F-stop correct? Is your exposure time adequate? This depends on the type of camera you have, the type of film you are using, how bright it is, how stable the camera and subject is. Using a light meter is a good way to get your F-stop and exposure setting. All you have to do is point the meter at your subject, or at the camera from your subject(depending on what kind of light meter you have), and it gives you the settings.
The end results should show a clear, colorful (or correct tones of black, gray, and white), beautiful picture that brings a smile to your face and makes you say, "I did this. I took this wonderful picture.". When a person is happy with her or his photographic work, than everyone is to.
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