This makes me think of that short dialogue between Whistler, a great 19th century painter and an amateur. When the amateur said : "I want to paint what I see." , Whistler replied: "then wait 'till you see what you painted."

One of the big problems is that your eyes are always fixing something different. Even the widest wide-angle cannot capture what you see. Add to this sound, smell, the feel of being there  and compare that with a flat pic on a monitor or on a sheet of paper, and your own longing to be back there and relive that , the excitement and concentration.

I guess it's normal and also very positive to be disappointed about your captures. It's never perfect. Luckily the digital darkroom can do a lot to soften the pain. Keep in mind that a number of years ago you risked even more: you came home from a forthnight abroad with loads of slides films (or other) and then you could invest a small fortune to have them developed, knowing that at least two-thirds would not make it to the basic level. Ah! The wish to go back! If I had... I should have...

Now with digital you photograph as you fancy, but then you had to calculate how many shots you could invest in that subject.

It's positive to be critical because it means you want to do better. But don't let it fret your self-confidence too much. Don't compare with others to see how bad and hopeless you are with all your expensive equipment. You are practicing perfection and little by little you learn.

Perhaps the main goal of photography is not to take pictures but to learn to observe how you interpret what you see?

 

There are no Borg. All resistance is fertile.