Two words.... Digital Camera!!!!!! I had a decent camera 35m and no matter how many pictures I took of my cakes I was never guarenteed a good one. It drove me nuts! FINALLY I spent the 150.00 and got a kodak easy share and now I can review them and make sure I got a good picture before the cake leaves. I know this probably doesn't help but you might think about saving up for one..It's worth it!! Also some advice..when you take a picture of your cakes make sure the background is clean. Make sure we can't see your dirty dishes or zit cream in the background.(not that you have zits) This will always make your cakes look more professional. Use a tablecloth and make sure that in your picture all you see is the cake and tablecloth.
This is something that I'm struggling with too, but I can say that outdoor light is always better than artificial. Also the advice from above is soooo right on target, be sure not to have anything other than your cake in the photo unless the object(s) are there to accent your cake.
I bought a science project board (the kind that is self standing) and I know a few others have done this too. I sometimes use it when I want an easy way to block out the clutter from my photo. In my cake sites, you'll see how it worked on my Sporty Cake. I had to find something white to place underneath the cake too.
I think it takes a bit of practice and a decent camera. I think digital is best. You can take as many as you need and transfer to your computer to see if they are good or if you need to keep snapping shots. I usually take a lot of photos at different angles so I have a lot to work with.
You may also look into digital photography software, don't know much about it, but have heard you can do some cool things with it.
I'm not satisfied with most of my photos and usually it's a lighting issue. We have a very low lit home and I don't have a nice table to take outside. Probably would be worth the investment. 
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