Over on rasfc I've been pondering the insights I've gained over the last few months of taking photographs. I think my improvement can be summed up by these two photos.
Celandine taken in March 2005
Celandine taken yesterday...

Same plant, same time of year but I think the difference is striking. Partly it's because I've got a better camera now and a close up lens. I just wouldn't try flower shots like that with the little Olympus, though I still use it if I haven't got the Canon with me. But I spotted that the light was right and I tried a slightly different angle and I really like the result.
Editors keep telling me that my stories don't grab them. They're like the first photo, not bad but just ... a bit bland. It's not that I need to write about different things, I just need to find the right way of tackling them.
I'm not saying I can do it yet, but at least I know what I'm trying to do, which always helps!