Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Be your own critic. Look at your work from year to year. If you can't look at something you did last March and say to yourself -"what was I thinking?" then you aren't advancing. This forum is overrun with people who read a lot and are "experts" but never really take pictures, preferring to just talk about photography - don't be that guy.

The best way to do this is a two-pronged approach - take more pictures, and look at the work of others. If you like something, ask yourself "why?" and vice versa. Then look at your own work and repeat the process. Your ability to rely on your own aesthetic sense, developing it along the way, will get you to where you want to go. For now - put the books and courses and other instructionals away - buy a huge hard drive (or two) and start filling it up.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

I don't think it has been mentioned here, but as a musician you get better by copying what better musicians do. You can apply the same with photography. Find photos on flickr you admire. Look at the settings (f-stop, iso, shutter speed and focal length of the picture). Then try to copy pics you admire until you can produce something similar. That will improve your photography. Trying to study techniques can help to some extent, but you can use good technique and still get a mediocre picture. The same is true in painting. Painters learn by copying other paintings. There comes that aha moment when you get it right. Just like playing an instrument, and just the same with a camera. Practice without a target won't do it. You can practice for ten years, but without a target you will just have 6 months of experience, repeated 20 times.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

Once you comprehend exposure, DoF and how to make any setting you want with your camera just shoot, shoot and shoot again. Mark off a 360 degree circle of where ever you are shooting. Move in 5 degree increments and make compositions of each shot. Learn light and shadows. The big thing is to just shoot.

PalePictures Loc: Traveling

Very good point and to my point as well.
I knew a guy onetime that had ten years of experience playing guitar. He played the same song. He wasn't as good as people that I knew with 1 year of experience.
He knew the parts of the guitar very well.

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

It's time to stop studying and start doing. Take pictures. Post them on UHH and ask for comments and critiques. The Critique section and FYC (For Your Consideration) will give you some feedback. Feedback is what you need to give you some indication of how much you are improving. Photography is an artistic endeavour, not an academic one. Don't try it, do it. Remember the philosophy of Yoda "There is no 'try', there is only 'do' and 'not do'"

repleo Loc: Boston

I am sort of in the same boat as you. I wasn't a total beginner, but I have only taken my progression in photography seriously for the last twelve months. I feel I have developed enormously in those twelve months. I read a lot, I do courses and workshops, go to my camera club regularly and get out and shoot at least every weekend. However, posting my shots here on UHH has been by far, the greatest tool in my progression. I made a commitment to myself to post here at least once a month. For the most part I have kept to that commitment. That commitment doesn't just make me get out shooting, but challenges me to produce better shots. The feedback gives great encouragement and often produces great suggestions and advice. Even 'views' that don't leave feedback can be a measure of what works and what doesn't.
Taking physical (as opposed to online) courses is also a great way to develop. Course assignments make you push yourself. My last class assignment was to take 9 shots of a plain white bed sheet. My first reaction was 'what the hell!!!' , but the challenge pushed me to try a bunch of things like macro and starbursts that I might not have tried otherwise.

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

Sign up for a photo trip with a pro.

WessoJPEG Loc: Cincinnati, Ohio

Shoot Raw only.

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

Find a club or place to get your photos critiqued.

picsman Loc: Scotland

Get out of your comfort zone and take images of new subjects/genre.

I went to college for a year. It did not really teach me about using a camera but it did teach me about many different genres and to take images within them. So instead of taking holiday, landscape and celebrations I moved onto studio, models, still life, portraits, environmental, film and darkroom, large format, macro, infrared, impossible images, sport, and theory (which it sounds like you already have). I have probably forgotten a few topics.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

Go to an art gallery. Or look at prints of old masters. See how they used light and leading lines to draw people into the image.
Join a club with a competitive ethos, see how you stack up against others.

Don't overdo and lose sight of your original aim which I assume was to have fun.

Papa j Loc: Cary NC

Great advise I feel like I'm in the same boat since my retirement, new equipment , tons of reading, YouTube, blogs on and on . I realize now that just shooting everyday and reviewing my shoot

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

If you have an active camera club in the area, participate in that. I am motivated a lot by seeing the monthly contest submissions - there are a lot of very creative, clever, and talented folks out there!

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Have you read "Understanding Exposure"? Only kidding. That seems to be the answer for everything.

You've read it all, you've seen it all, and you've taken the courses. The only thing left is to practice.