One photo tip to keep in mind if you're taking a picture of a subject smaller than an automobile, is to zoom in on your subject as close as possible.  We'll use photos taken by gabu-chan for this educational tip.
The characteristics of the thing you're photographing may have details that are missed by shooting it too far away. Some people have a tendency to try and fill the frame with the whole body of the subject, rather than take a portion of the subject to fill the frame.

Here are two photos of the same couple by Gabu-chan. Compare the first photo with the second. Both are fun pictures. Do you prefer the second photo though? The characteristics of these two come alive when they are a little closer. Imagine just two headshots in the frame. Even better?

Of course, you want to vary your photographs by not having every one look the same. Just don't forget to take those close-up shots.

Remember to get close to your subject. A tip is to get near enough as to not blur the subject of the photo. That's usually around 2 - 4 feet.