I'm not talking about taking a photoshop class, buying a new camera, new lens, or a new photo instructional class. All of these steps may help in some form or fashion depending on your need but any one is unlikely to take your skills to a new level. So what am I talking about? My suggestion is to take on a serious personal photo project that will require planning and photo skill for completion. My own personal project "the Grand Dell Saloon" has been ongoing for a year, required me to learn new photo skills, and I have only begun scratching the surface. I have faced new photo situations which required skills I didn't have, new social relationships and connections, some special photo equipment, and the list could go on and on. So let me describe generically the idea and how it works.
Once you learn the basic skills of photography, how to use your camera, and train your eye a bit, you begin to take nice pictures. You learn to photograph people, landscapes, most importantly you learn to love photography, the art of image capture. You improve your technical skills with training and practice, upgrade your equipment, and begin going to places simply to photograph. All of this is good, rewarding, and exciting. But eventually, you begin to ask yourself what's the next step?
I'm sure there are many answers to this question, but my suggestion is to take on a serious personal project. The elements being an ongoing photo project with a story at its core. You may not know the story when you start, and that's part of the journey. For example, you could select a retirement home where a family member resides, and tell the story of the life and friends. Shoot it in black and white with the notion of a book for the members. Another idea would be story of yourself, told through your camera, a bit more creative and difficult but certainly interesting to undertake. You could select something of social interest like Occupy Wall Street, follow it over time and tell the story.
These are not weekend or vacation shoots, require some thinking, planning and a flexible strategy. You are part photojournalist, part portrait photographer, street photographer, and documentarian. Getting out of your photo comfort zone is part of the process as well as learning new photo skills. You don't have to be confined to people stories, you could do animal/wildlife with a similar structure. An environmental story could involve all the elements, pull together people, wildlife, landscape, and change. Think of these elements as photo way-points part of the path to complete your work.
What do you end up with? A collection of photographs that link together, give the observer insight, and tells the story. And in the process, you become a much better photographer, with a whole new set of skills. That's my two cents.

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