Turn Practically into a Pro

If you don't have a point-and-shoot, get one. They are inexpensive and can turn even the most photographically impaired into practically a pro. The one drawback is that point-and-shoot cameras, while great for “scenery”, are not well designed for photographing objects closer than about four feet.
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While you probably won't be pressed into capturing a quickly unfolding event, it's still a good idea to take a number of shots just to be sure to get a good one…
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Apply the rule of thirds when composing subjects and/or objects for the camera. Look through the viewfinder and imagine the framed area as being divided into three equal parts both horizontally and vertically. As illustrated in Figure 2 position the object deserving the most attention on one of the four points where the imaginary lines intersect.

— By Anon Imous (the bold is my emphasis and I'm not showing the Figure #2, you should know what the rule of the thirds is).

This was part of a memo that was recently distributed at one of my clients. This client may become an “ex-client.” That's not for sure because many people are grumbling that they are expected to do more work, buy or use their own camera, without any pay increase but more responsibilities and more time pressures¹â€¦

Anyway, you do not need any talent or even practice, just get a “cheap point-and-shoot”… On the other hand, there is a whole industry that claims that just “get their camera and you will be better than a pro…” Nikon is famous for that, see: http://www.foto-biz.com/Biz/Nikon-you-must-not-be-a-good-photographer. Lets face it many professional photographers behave that way! Do I hear corporate portraits? The photographer sets up in the board room and the group of corporate… come in for 30 seconds, fire the flash, done. There are many other examples.