Don't POSE
The best photos are the candid ones. Don't line up your people in front of some great scenery. Boring. Those are not the shots you will remember. They are not the ones that will be made into 8 x 10's to hang framed beautifully on your walls. No. They are OK shots, but not WOW. You want wow?! Then watch. Pay attention. Be ready for the moment to capture it.
She leans against him watching the dancers on the floor. Head against his shoulder. He throws his arm around her comfortably, tips his head back to take a draw on his Heinekin, also watching the friends gathered for their day. Both are relaxed, content, sharing a brief moment away from the celebration. No longer center of attention, so they can drop their guard.
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Congratulations, you've just captured a moment shared by the newlyweds. A moment for them to remember because you were paying attention and had the camera ready.
She spots a sunbeam streaming through the branches of a tree. She looks up into it to see the specks of dust floating in the air. She smiles at the sight, drinking it in.
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You have captured the light dancing in her eyes. A shot you never would have gotten posed because she is self-concious in front of a camera.
She is sleeping on the reclining chair. Peaceful. Her head is tipped down, nose buried into the soft downy hair of your newborn son, breathing him in. Her own hair falls unkempt around her face, her hand lightly resting on his back. He is sleeping also, belly down against her stomach, head cradled on her breasts. Small smile on his face as he dreams sweet baby dreams safe in the arms of his mother. The late afternoon sun shines through the window behind them, soft lighting.
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Do you see where I'm going here? These are the pictures that will be the keepers. Moments in time. Not posed shots but candids captured when the subject is unawares. These are the feelings that will make for a good photo. Not the false hesitant smiles of a person in front of the Eiffel tower, but the shot of young lovers wrapped up in themselves kissing beneath it. THAT is a moment. A good picture. A candid.
That is how to take a good photo with whatever type of camera you have. It's not what you put into the camera, it's what you see through the lens.