Pay attention to your surroundings.

Wait 10 seconds for the stranger to walk by in the background. If you see a tree, sign or telephone pole sticking out of your people's heads through the lens, it will look even worse in the final picture.

Look at other details. Is your girlfriend's necklace turned upside down or is your child looking up at the sky while everyone else is focused on the camera? If there is an object that is a permanent, non-moveable item, then adjust your subject away from it or hide the object with your composition.

Don't be afraid to move or try different perspectives. People or objects do not always have to be in the center of the picture. Try shooting with your subjects off to one side or the other. It may generate interest; especially if you combine this with trick #1, moving them closer.

Mistake #4: Not using fill flash outside
More people ask me why I'm using flash outside on a bright sunny day than any other question when I'm shooting. People are surprisingly trained that bright sunshine means no need for flash. NOT TRUE!

Experiment with using and not using a flash outside. Flash offsets dramatic shadows and makes the whites of eyes stand out. Subtle fill-flash is best, not harsh flashing such as would be used inside or at night.

The only way that fill-flash is not appropriate is with intentional natural light photos, which take a special talent and slightly longer exposure to achieve. Fill flash should always be used in every other circumstance whether it's sunny, cloudy or in a bright, well-lit room. Your photos may still turn out okay if you don't use it, but they won't look as good as they could.

Mistake #5: Making everything horizontal
It seems that most amateur photographers always put the subject smack dab in the center of the picture. How boring and predictable.

Try this. On a cloudy day, your colors will be more vibrant if you crop out most of the sky while shooting. Position your subjects in the top half of the frame. The grass or foreground can be more prominent. Colors will "pop" instead of being dull and lifeless. Just angle the camera up and towards the subject, instead of dead-on as you normally do.

In another setting, such as a bright and sunny day with pretty clouds, get low and capture more of the sky. Put your subjects prominently in the lower part of the frame, cropping out more of the ground. This will also help to relieve glare from the sun.

Mistake #6: Positioning subjects in precarious positions
Speaking of the sun, how often do you pose individuals to either be directly in or beside the sun, making them squint and struggle to look at the lens?

It's okay to shoot at a window or sun if you're shooting into it. For the sun, use fill-flash. For a window, either point the flash up or don't use it at all because the reflection will bounce back and be evident in your final image.

Mirrors are easy to achieve if you know the trick. A pivoting flash pointed to the ceiling is the ideal answer. If you don't have such a fancy flash, simply turn off the flash completely and shoot in natural light. Hold the camera steady. Focus on the mirror, not the subject. The reflection will be the prominent focal point of the picture but the subject will be detailed with facial expressions revealed in the mirror. This is an effortless trick once you try it a couple of times.