Photography captures a moment in time. It is a creative process as much as painting or writing and has the power to communicate the meaning of a scene or event. Photography is simple to learn yet at the same time challenging to execute. Learning the finer nuances of photography is based on three key aspects - Light, aesthetics and focus. Understanding these three aspects forms the basis of expressing yourself effectively through photography.
Understanding light is one of the very basic principles of learning to be a photographer. When you have a group of people in front of you with smiling faces ready for you to say ‘cheese’ or if you are taking a shot of a scenic area, the most important consideration is the light factor. Light controls the type of exposure and therefore the quality of the photo is dependent on the quality of the light on your subject and the amount of light that impacts on the film or digital sensor when you click. Controlling the amount of light is a good pre-occupation in the mind of a photographer keen to get a good shot. It should be one of the key considerations
The word ‘exposure’ is a very important word in the lexicon of both amateur and professional photographers and is based on the understanding of light in creating good photographs.
--If there is too much light, the photo will look overly bright and over exposed.
--A happy group of people will not look as vibrant if there was inadequate light when you took the picture.
--Bright sunlight can create shadows under the eyes.
--Poor lighting may not bring out the colors in the scene to maximum effect
There are a few basics that you can apply to circumvent poor picture quality due to unfavorable light conditions:
--Change the position from which you take the shot
--Change the light if clicking indoors
--Use the flash
The use of the flash can be a boon when you operate in different light conditions. If you have an overcast sky, the flash in your camera will serve the purpose of letting some light into the image that you are trying to capture and brightening it up. The flash also works to your advantage when your subject is not too close but slightly away from you. But you have to check the ‘flash range’ of your camera in your manual. The flash works best when your subject is within a recommended range that is usually at least 4 ft and generally not more than 10 ft.
Most simple cameras have an automatic flash. Slightly better models will have settings for fill-flash. The concept of fill flash revolves around filling light in areas of a picture that may turn out dark or shadowed. Fill-flash has the ability to balance the amount of light on different parts of a subject to ensure that the exposure is adequately bright. For instance, a portion of a person’s face may appear shadowed and the fill-flash setting can help iron out this problem.
The angle of light is another important consideration. You have to pay attention to the direction from which light falls on your subject and there are several approaches in manipulating the angle of light to improve the visual appeal of a picture.
Sideways lighting:  Light from the side is used to creates depth in the picture and is considered one of the best ways to use light if you are taking a portrait photograph
Light from the top: This is a method used to brighten up most of the scene but does not work as well when you take a photograph of a person. It tends to create shadows on the lower half of the face when the lighting is high. 
Light from behind your subject: This strategy is sometimes used by photographers to amplify the impact of the picture. It can create a halo like effect; it can add artistic shadows and can also create a striking contrast between the subject and the background if used effectively. When you use a ‘back light’ it is recommended that the fill-flash settings on your camera are also adjusted in order to avoid shadows in your photograph.  
The second issue in photography is the aesthetics of the picture. Aesthetics is the creativity and attention to detail that you bring to your photograph. It is the most interesting part of photography since it is almost like a visual equivalent of composing a poem or writing a story. Aesthetics requires the use of visual skills to compose and deliver a pleasing, eye-catching and captivating image. It is a type of vision that you have for your photograph in terms of look and appeal.
Aesthetics requires a good eye for detail. The following factors have to borne in mind in creating an aesthetically appealing photograph:
Background
--Periphery
--Distance from subject
--Changing the direction of your camera based on picture dimensions
--Objects impinging on the picture
--Avoiding too many elements
Each of these factors that go into aesthetics are described and explained below-
-->Background
The background in a photograph requires much consideration. It influences the manner in which your subject is portrayed in the photograph. Depending on your choice of background, your subject will be shown to effect or may be overshadowed. The background also makes the difference between a boring and an interesting photograph. The colors, the type of background and the context add to the vibrancy of the photo.
-->Perphery
A common problem among beginners in photography is not paying attention to whether the image is being captured fully. When you view your subject through the viewfinder, you may think you have clicked a person from head to shoulder or from head to toe in a full shot. But when the actual photograph is processed, the top of your subject’s head or part of the hair may be missing! Or, if you did not center your subject when you composed the shot through your viewfinder, a part of the shoulder or hand may be lost into the edges of the photo. You need to concentrate when you view your subject through your camera before you click, in order to get the picture exactly the way you want it.
-->Distance from Subject
The distance from a subject is another critical aspect in getting a good picture. You want to see facial expression, not a mass of faces when you take a photograph. To do this, you have to be at a suitable close distance from your subject. On the other hand, when you click pictures of a campus, the distance that you click from can give you a wide view and take in a lot more of the scene. To take close up pictures of flowers or crystal or any decorative item, you have to move into close range and use suitable lenses to achieve the right magnification.
-->Changing the Direction of Your Camera Based on the Picture
Many a time you may not be able to capture the subject in it’s entirety in the conventional horizontal position in which the camera is usually held. You can easily change the direction. Hold the camera vertically and then view your subject. You will be able to capture more of a longish subject like a tall monument, a full-length picture of a child, and so on.

The author, Chris Haslego, is founder of http://www.cameramanualstore.com, the internet's foremost source of camera manuals. With over 4000+ camera manuals available from all major manufacturers.