While I am most definitely NOT a great photographer I have friends who think I am. I have some advice that I got from a professional photographer many, many years ago when I was in my early teens to thank for that. He said, "If you want to be thought of as a great photographer take
lots of pictures. If you take a hundred and only one comes out bury the ninety-nine in your backyard, and never let anyone see them. Only show people the good one. Everyone will think you're a great photographer."
We've all seen how big-time professional fashion photographers do it. Click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, and throw the camera to an assistant to reload, snatch up another camera and keep going. How many of those pictures do you think actually get used? It's all a matter of tilting the odds in your favor. I've watched so many people hesitate and wait for "just the right shot" when, if they'd just taken a bunch of pictures one would have been good. I got this advice in the days of film. Think how much more sense it makes with today's digital cameras. You don't even have to pay to have the film processed. Just press "Delete". Your out nothing.
He gave me one more piece of advice. I mentioned that all I had was a cheap no-name SLR that I'd bought on sale. He said, "Don't worry about it. A Nikon will not make you a better photographer, and I've seen gorgeous pictures taken with a Brownie. (Anyone besides me remember the "Brownie"?) The only reason professionals buy a Nikon is that they last longer."
Hope this will be useful to someone.
Mike