The Most Important Rule in Photography:
Frame your image tightly, keep out the extraneous garbage.

Rules of Composition

• Rule of Thirds: Try to keep the main subject off center (except in closeups). Try to divide the image into three sections horizontally and three vertically, and place your main elements within one of the thirds.
• A vertical format enhances height, hence use it to shoot canyons, cliffs. A horizontal enhances width, so shoot large expanse of water, prairies, deserts, with it.
• Look for PATTERNS in nature and emphasize it! For example, look for patterns made by flora, edges of mountains, sand on beaches, etc. Frame your image wisely.
• NOON is the worst time for photography. Light is harsh, and there are no shadows to emphasize relief. Take a nap.
• Sunrise and sunset have the best photographic light. Sunrise is softer and provides more pastel tones. Sunset is harder, and provides harsher tones.
• An overcast day is best for colors, so don't get disappointed. Closeups in Nature, greenery, flowers image very well. Try not to take images with a lot of sky.
• A fully overcast and an absolutely clear sky are boring. Some clouds are the most photogenic, giving a sense of scale to your images.
• Portraits are best in soft INDIRECT light from a window, through a diffuser, or with indirect flash bounced off a ceiling, wall.

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Practicing on one of my photos:

The original shots were taken in San Diego, California and processed using photoshop (brush with saturation mode)