Got Cheese?

I inherited the bad photographer gene from my father, who was rarely seen outside the house without one or more of a succession of tempermental German twin-lens reflex cameras, and who never missed an opportunity to terrorize guests, family or classes with a closetfull of slide carousels. My own, less maniacal efforts all seem to feature food-chewing or squints, or sullen, long-suffering faces, or 1000-watt smiles of stunning insincerity. They showcase distant blurry dots lost in bland landscapes, or surgically-sharp closeups of "what the hell did you take a picture of that for?" It's a gift. So I am amazed (and sick with envy) at the vast selection of interesting, attractive, in-focus, lively and well-composed photos people have submitted to our Photo of the Day feature. It must be like playing jazz saxophone--the evidence all says that it can be done, but none of it tells how it can be done.