Photography how-to

Now that my trip to France and Italy is coming up soon, I've been starting to make mini-lists to prepare. Top priority right now: Master my SLR camera so that I can come back with lots of gorgeous pics. It's harder than you think! 

Luckily, there's Skillshare, a company with classes that teach almost any skill you could ever imagine wanting to learn. I signed up for a photography course, and I love it! It's really simple, too: It's all online, with videos that teach you each step. Then, there are projects at the end of every lesson so you can practice what you just learned and share it with your virtual classmates. Really cool, right?

So, I'm brushing up on my photo skills and getting ready for my trip. Do you have any photo tips or advice?

PS—My first attempt with the SLR.

(Image 1 and 2)