how to take GREAT photos

[FirstGenZq8]

i'm starting this thread to get some tips for taking great photos. if the professional photographers on the board could post some of their best pics, how they took the photo, camera make/model, time of day the photo was shot (i'm finding the angle of the sun can make the biggest difference), etc., then i think we could have a pretty decent thread. also, amatuer photographers, like me, can post pics they've found on the internet and "ask the pros" how such photos were shot. i'll start.

what time of day was this first photo shot? also, is it overcast outside? is taking a photo when it's overcast a good idea?



i know the below pic has something to do w/ exposure rate, but that's where my knowledge ends. how did he do this?