Working as features editor on Black & White Photography magazine and assistant editor on Outdoor Photography magazine, I am lucky enough to see hundreds of fantastic photographs every week. As a photographer myself, I find the sheer mass and quality of these images drives me to question the standard of my own photography on a daily basis – an exercise that can be both satisfying and dispiriting in equal measure.

For me, photography will always be an art that requires constant practice. When I was given my first SLR as a teenager I knew nothing of exposures and meter readings. I was happy to switch the camera on to program mode and concentrate on training my eye. I was attracted to the work of Walker Evans, Lee Friedlander, William Eggleston, Martin Parr and Richard Billingham – they all seemed so clear in thought, communicating complex ideas without the need for explanation. I began to compare their work to mine, and I soon learnt that my badly executed photographs were less powerful photographs; as a result, I taught myself the technicalities of photography.

Recently I returned to the darkroom after a long absence, and have discovered, yet again, that there is still so much to learn, so much to master; but instead of becoming dispirited I am excited by the prospect of how far there is to go. Perhaps the time to stop taking pictures comes when you feel you have mastered the art completely – when practice and experimentation become a thing of the past. I, for one, plan to remain inspired, and slightly envious, of those who excel in photography, in the hope that one day someone may feel inspired by, and slightly envious of mine.