Years ago, I spent -what was at the time- stupid money on a camera and lenses. I took the camera everywhere with me. I read book after book on composition, camera settings and technical details. I took tons and tons of pictures.
They all sucked.
After spending countless dollars on film and developing, only to be disappointed by shitty pictures, I gave up.
Fast forward a whole bunch of years. I bought a digital point-and-shoot camera and managed to take a few decent pictures with it, but found myself limited by what the camera could NOT do.
Taking that as a sign that I might be ready for something a little more "PRO-fessional" I bought a Sony Alpha 200 and started rediscovering photography. I also got Aperture as a Christmas gift last year, and that's been a big help. I think part of what I was missing with film was being able to control things in "the darkroom".
For me, digital has been very freeing. I am no longer afraid to take chances, because I don't have to pay to develop my pictures. I can shoot away and not even think about it. I also know that a certain amount of things can be corrected in "the darkroom".
I still have to learn to slow down and THINK about composition and I need to kick the "auto" crutch to the curb, but I have managed to take a few ...ok... pictures. I am really trying to learn to SEE pictures - a skill those of us without that artistic genes really struggle with.
Where the hell was this 30+ years ago?
