Advice sought from experienced photogs

I think Craig, Doug and others gave you great advice.

I think everything helps, in no particular order:

• having an eye for composition / interesting subjects
• having a "vision" or, less pompously, a story to tell in your mind
• having the right skills / technique to capture your vision
• having the right tools to make it possible or at least easier
• having the will to take control of the photo-taking process, from setting the scene to clicking the shutter to post process the images

I am going to suggest that you start taking more and more manual control of your photography. This means a few things.... Such as:

• Do not "react" to a scene: try to pre-visualize it and have a clear idea of what the subject is and what you want to communicate - of course, should you see something news-worthy and fleeting, do shoot away! The next step would be... control the scene!
• Learn how to not shoot in auto, do not let the camera think for you. Ideally shoot RAW and learn how to process your images so that they convey the message you want them to more strongly (and no you do not need to master Photoshop to do that, although it'd help)
• Learn how to use or control the light
• Have the right tools to execute all of the above - or the flexibility to adapt all of the above to the capabilities of the tools in your hands

"Reactive" photography may get boring fast, I agree.

I am not saying that if you switch your camera to manual you will find your passion renewed. It will take time to learn how to learn to take control and to master - and it can be frustrating. I remember my first RAW images. Ewwww
I am also not going to suggest that you need or do not need to change your camera (I personally just did change mine though, so I hope people won't accuse me of anything ) - but I am going to suggest to consider it if your current camera cannot be used quickly and effectively in manual mode (e.g. , but just for me!, I cannot force myself to use a camera with less than 2 control dials (i.e. I want to be able to control shutter speed and aperture independently at the same time)). In any case, ideally, you'd experiment a bit first, decide what you want to focus on, and then decide if your tools are up to the task or not.

But believe me (and the others): if you have the time and the will, moving to a more "deliberate" photography can be an extremely rewarding experience. And it is certainly something that keeps me going on and on. Happy and fulfilled, but still with the will to change and improve. Am I successful? That's not for me to say. Does my passion for photography keep growing? You bet!

--
Ciao!
Roberto
My photos: http://www.robertodemicheli.com