[Zig]

I'm inclined to thistledoo's summation of some "professional" efforts...yet if my livelihood and that of my family were dependent on photography for income, I'd gladly shoot to generate cash first and creative integrity pretty far down the order.
I'd also say be of Good Cheer: many a punter buys a camera that does all the thinking for them...and they still invariably are unable to turn out anything otehr than tripe. Well-exposed, sharp tripe too...which is then the equivalent of polishing a turd.
Also, I find it wonderful that with so many camera systems, all of which are highly adept at covering or erasing error or lack of knowledge, photographers still manage to shoot and develop their own style. Excellence is still excellence, after all: it may well be that a snapper's excellence is anathematised by jealousy rather than lauded and pursued as a benchmark, but excellence will always cause a reaction.