I've only very recently started looking at my own photography as having the potential for art (always an appreciator of visual art but never considered I could be a maker of - sort of the artist's equivalent of "always a bridesmaid never a bride"). As a newbie I'm anxious to learn more about what it is that truly makes a shot successful versus simply being a nice photo (though "nice" is not so bad), so I would love any feedback/suggestions re what's working and what's not or ideas for learning.

Now just a couple of weeks in I am learning so much from all the fascinating work folks share on flickr - never mind just loving being able to go anywhere and see most anything through lots of different eyes. Needless to say I am boggled by the range of talent and richness of perspective this gives access to. Thank you thank you thank you! Now the immediate challenge is how not to just disappear into flickr land for hours and hours at a time!

FEB 1 UPDATE: Art?! What was I thinking?!?!? It's a little early for that; I've got an awful lot of photography skill building to work on first. But I have definitely been bitten by the bug - alternately thrilled and frustrated (and sometimes just plain dejected) by what comes from my camera, impatient and a bit obsessive, but having a lot of fun - not the least of which is communicating with flickr friends over photos. Very much looking forward to what 2010 will bring on the photo front!