thx chris... i guess for me it's really gradually putting into practice what i have read so much about photography over the years, and trying to visualise whether the photo presents a new way or an artistic way of looking at things. one of the goals of APAD for me was to simplify the image as much as possible. be as minimalistic as possible. (AngelZhou will tell me it's post-minimalism, i'm sure!) at the end of the day, you should be your own harshest critic. don't be afraid to trash most of your shots in pursuit of one that you will like to hang on your living room wall as art. and in pursuing your art with dogged persistence, your shooting will definitely improve.