How often have you/me taken a picture of a wonderful scene, and it just doesn't 'make it'? It looks much better to your eye than in the camera.

On Monday, as I traveled through the backroads of southeastern York county, I found a serene pond, partially covered with lotus and lily pads. This late in the season, most of the flowers and color was gone. But there was a picture to be had, and as I often do, I obsessed about finding it. I spent hours staring at a single lily pad and a dragonfly (it could have been dozens of different 'flies). That's not like me; I have patience of a cocker spaniel puppy.

Found plenty of photos, made different by the fading sunlight, the dragonfly's exact position, the curling leaf.

And the pictures were interesting, including this one with the shadow of the dragonfly projected on the leaf below. It's still not as interesting as I saw. But without this shadow, a detail, the photo wouldn't be as strong.

There's tomorrow, always looking for the perfect photo. That's what keeps me going.
What pushes you to become a better photographer?