Just logged on briefly for a quick browse while on holiday in the south of France and came across this thread which I have read with great interest, there are some very interesting points raised here and it got me thinking... so firstly thanks for that stimulation and secondly I feel I should add my tuppence worth... I realise there's now a sticky dedicated to the topic so this may fall on deaf ears but just have too many thoughts not to chime in..

I disagree with Tom that location is everything although I can see where you're coming from. I think perhaps that line of thinking is most closely related to landscape photography and of couse starting with better/more impressive raw materials (i.e. the scenery) is likely to aid the final result. However, as I'm sure you're well aware there are a multitude of variables to consider and a particular spot one day might look entirely different on another, depending on light and weather for example. And then of course there's the technical proficiency and creativity of the photographer to consider. An average, not-so-serious hobbyist photographer may find themselves in an amazing spot with interetsing lighting, conditions, etc. but if the shot were viewed by a professional it's likely s/he would be able to spot technical flaws. I see landscape photography as an opportunistic style, and the shots which really stand out will do so because of the conditions/lighting etc BUT this should be accompanied by technical excellence or the more knowledgeable members of your audience will lose interest in the work..

I find I agree with much of what girsempa has said, however I think a distinction should be made about WHO we take the pictures for. Is it for ourselves or others? Do we take them because they interest US or we think they may be of value/interest to others? This may be the line between amateurs and professionals, to an extent. Personally I'm no pro, and while I'm enjoying the change of scenery provided by my current travels I'm not 100% convinced that the shots I've taken would be of any truly significant interest to the locals of these areas... it just so happens that much of what I've been shooting is new to me, and hence of much interest... which links me back nicely to who I take pictures for - based on the above comment - me, although since I'm with family there is also the consideration of taking plenty of 'memory shots' and 'family snaps' (so I guess it changes with circumstance but in general I believe there's no right style or way to go about the subject and you should shoot what interests YOU, and without even thinking of it there's a chance someone the other side of the globe will look and find your work 'exotic'). As photography is a passionate interest of mine I of course have taken my photos while taking into account all the usual technical considerations like composition etc. but the main reason is so that I can look back on them in years to come and remember exactly how it was to be there (there's another can of worms right there - photography as replacement of memory... let's not go there here tho eh? ;)) and to bring these vistas which are interesting to me back to my study at home..

In terms of aiming at improvement I think not changing location and staying put can have dramatic effects on your photography if you're prepared to work at it. It makes you look at things you've seen hundreds of times and really get creative with them. If the shot is just blatantly 'there', right in front of you, the temptation is to get lazy and just let the scene 'do the work for you'. But in working to make something apparently mundane interesting to your eye, there's a good chance as a by-product that it'll be interesting to others too, and you may just force yourself into new realms of photographic expression. There are so many styles to explore and I'm a believer one should be interested in everything. It makes you more rounded and you can then apply your knowlege according to your own particular tastes, which of course vary from person to person...

Anyway I think I'll leave it at that even though I've a few more thoughts on the topic as this is becoming quite the lengthy post... it's a bit 'stream of consciousness' so I hope I haven't wandered too far off topic.... cheers for the thought-provoking thread and responses... in time I'll have a gander over the sticky thread which has resulted from this and maybe get involved, but right now I'm off out to explore the possiblities of the warm early-evening provencal light =)

Adam 

Adam Edwards Photography