Let’s start w/ the Mechanics:
a) Focus. Can you see their eyes (or most-important eye), CLEAR & CRISP
-there’s no fall-back; everything else can be blurred, but NOT the eyes…
b. Light. Can you SEE what’s important, & it’s picked-out clearly
-Key: can i pick-out the salient details
-Fill: are the surroundings lit too, (keeping) the most-important stuff from being too harsh
-Rimmed/Backlit: is the most-important part ‘framed’
…not necessarily (exactly) like a ‘Studio’ shot
…but otoh– if you can get that ‘sense’ in a ‘live’ shot, you’re doing great
c. Motion/Direction. Are our eyes PULLED to the most-important part of the image??
…& this same thing works for moving shots or static too:
-> is the most-important thing, MOVING.
-static shots: from physically moving, ‘capturing the moment’
…them ‘holding-still’– but can you see their ‘interest’, do their thoughts move…
…& if it’s a flower, can you see how it (has) moved, eg towards the sun?
…& if it’s a building, can you see how light moves across its surface?
-motion shots (ie. filmmaking):
…if the key Player isn’t moving, then move the camera: even the (slightest) of Push-In’s
…or cut-in to CU, SCU, ECU…
…it can even work w/ a jump-cut [or even CinemaScope: cf Gandalf & Frodo's intercut ECU's when deciding which fork to take, inside of Moria, "Fellowship"]
.
…but most-important of all:
Does the Moment Tell a Story.
-Beginning, Middle, End
-Who, What, Where, When, Why, How
The Best shots are “Character-Moments”
-they tell us something about Who They Are
-they tell us something about What they’re Thinking
-they tell us something about How they Feel
.
…& here’s a few of my Favorite Tech Tricks:
1) ‘Pin’ the auto-focus to the center-point.
-that’s where the spot-meter is…
(you can always zoom-in, 1/2-press the shutter to set exposure & focus, & zoom-out, change framing, etc…)
-> “Always Expose for what’s in Focus”
…& let the rest blow-out or get crushed, no-problem… 
2. Shoot Long, & as-Open-as-possible
-maximize your bokeh!
-ie, f/4 maximum! Borrow a 50mm f/1.4 lens, & see what “really cool backgrounds” does for your shots!
-> “lots of bokeh” = “instant Production-Value”
…if nothing else, it means “this shot wasn’t taken with a consumer camera”
3. Shoot Burst
-ppl’s expressions change fast; so maximize your chances of getting the shot
…you can always delete extra shots later…
…invest in several 4GB CF cards; heck they’re $35 now(?!)
4. Put the ‘most-important part’ on a ‘Golden Mean’ point
(…ie, the ‘square within a square’ of the viewfinder):
-WS: the person’s figure
-MS: the person’s face
-CU: the person’s eyes
-ECU: the person’s (most-important) eye
…for more about the ‘Golden Mean’, check out Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video by Tom Schroeppel
5. Shoot CMOS !!
…CMOS renders facial tones much, much better than CCD
…CCD’s just don’t blow-out or crush nearly as ‘creamy’; they always look a bit ‘crisp’, ‘digital’… ie, “posterized”.
-easiest test? shoot a face, in a dark room, by candlelight.
.
…oh & BTW?
…if these Shots were’re talking-about are of my Daughter?
-fuckkit– i’m taking a TON
…& i won’t have any kind of discrimination–
…b/c i can see so much in her Look, in her Thoughts
…& each tells a Story, a Story i really care about 
…so sorry about that 
Tags: film-making