The part time shooters aren't getting better, the cameras and computer software are. Can you honestly tell me that if you were handed a camera that had no auto features, no autofocus, that you would be as good as you think you are? I realize that that film was then and this is a different generation, however the solid basics of photography are still the same, light is light, that hasn't changed, the only difference is that cameras have made it easier to shoot, it tells you when the exposure is off, it tells you when it is in or out of focus, it tells you when you may want to use the flash, it does everything but tell you how to compose a good image. If the photo isn't quite right use photoshop to fix it. You know photoshop the quicker fixer, I will admit that photoshop has saved a lot of images for both pros and amateurs, but it shouldn't be used to re-create a bad image, you shoot a wedding, eveyone looks great, except one person has their eyes closed, no problem, just cut and paste from another image, it is no longer a photo, it is a photo illustration. This is part of the problem, everyone expects every photo to be perfect, that's not the way photography works, if you have to use photoshop as a crutch, then you really aren't much of a photographer.