Self promotion and confidence - I can state this from personal experience. I met a person who wanted to "illustrate" a book he/she was writing (from now on, I'll just say "he" for simplification reasons) - and was just getting into photography. I kinda "took him under my wing" and we went out several times to go over the basics of photography, composition, exposure, etc. At this time, this WAS NOT the main purpose of the book he was writing - and his photographic skills were mediocre at the time of publication. As a result, instead of his book being about 'Subject A" - it was published as a book about "How To Photograph Subject A". Upon publication (which was pretty much pre-approved prior to ANY photographic exposure (pun not intended)), his "photographic expertise" was a well sought after commodity - by some heavy names in the industry (at least on a local level). Short sightings such as "don't waste you time with this area photographically" are actually published in this book - which turns my stomach. Surely, nobody can carry the audacity to determine what is 'photogenic" for everybody else. (OK - I'm getting upset again - and I thought i was over it...) Point is - someone like this can put on a show with mediocre images, and it will draw much more attention than someone "unknown" - regardless of how he became "known". Because of his book, this guy can sell a shot of his ingrown toenail before I can sell a shot of Elvis landing in a UFO in front of the White House! Unfair? Yes! Screwed up? Yes! Piss you off? Yes!!! BUT (and it took a bit of time to realize this, for me, anyway). Why am I shooting? If I'm shooting to get on the "Hit Parade", I'm not shooting for me - and i have to shoot for me (with the exception of a few football games I've shot for the local paper and the odd commissioned job) - i have shot for me. I am piss-poor at self promotion. I'm worse at even allowing people to view my work. What solo shows I've had, I've spent hiding in the corners. My communication is my photography - it's how i get in touch with people - and the dude who poorly uses this "communication skill" to line his pockets is not an artists other than a con-artist. To me, the person who is able to "shoot what they feel" and successfully "markey what they shoot" is in a rare groove. NEVER allow some show influence what you "should" be shooting - you have to shoot what you see, what you want others to see in your vision, in the way you want others to see you vision - and if that's "artistic" enough to show, GREAT - but if it isn't, I would not adjust my vision based on what's expected from the general public. Whups - got a bit heavy there, sorry. My point is, yes - beauty IS in the eye of the beholder - but the STORY LINE HAS to come from the artist. Likie it or not, you're telling some sort of story with your images - if nothing other than "this is what I saw and how i saw it". Don't allow yourself to start looking through someone else's eyes! Wolf