Is it imagination, technology or being in the right place at the right time that makes a good photographer?
Do you consider yourself the next Don McCullin or are you more a budding David Bailey?
Put your skills to the test in BBC News Website's photography competition
We'd like you to send in your photos on the themes listed in the box below.
Please interpret the brief as widely as you can - don't just think of the obvious.
THEMES FOR YOUR PICTURES
CLOSED - Street Life
CLOSED - Shape and colour
CLOSED - Emotions
CLOSED - Natural world
CLOSED - Solitude
CLOSED - Heroes
CLOSED - Your chance to vote for the overall winner
Remember we are looking for compelling photos that will grab our attention.
Entry to the competition is now closed.
Veronica Carter's image of 'Squabbling Terns' has earned her the title, BBC News Photographer of the Year 2004.
If you haven't had an image selected this year, then the competition will be back next summer.
Following the closing date for each theme the best pictures will be selected by our picture desk and displayed in a picture gallery on the site. Our readers will then be asked to vote for their favourites.
The two photos that get the most votes will go forward to the final in October when you will be able to decide who is awarded the title of BBC News Photographer of the Year.
WINNING PHOTOS 2004
WINNER: Veronica Carter
2nd: Arkadiusz Dziczek
3rd: Phil Charnock
4th: Andrew Fleetwood
Angela M Ferreira
We offer our thanks to everyone who has entered, we have received over 30,000 photographs, and yes we did look at every one.
So well done to those who made it to the last dozen or so in each category, you can see all of theses winning photos by clicking on the links on right hand side of this page.
Overall winner: The chance to shoot a photographic story of your choice which will then be displayed on the BBC News website. We will contribute up to £400 towards the cost of the project.
How to submit a picture
So please get out there and start snapping, then send your pictures to us at...
Please remember to put "Photographer of the Year" and the theme you are entering in the subject heading of your e-mail.
Don't forget to include your name and some background information as to what the image is about.
Submissions must be in digital form; ideally Jpegs with a height or width of around 800 pixels. If you want more details about the competition please contact the picture editor at the above e-mail address.
Pictures submitted and marked as entries to "Photographer of the Year" will only be used in conjunction with the competition and any associated promotion.
In contributing to the BBC News "Photographer of the Year" competition you agree to grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to publish and otherwise use the material in any way that we want, and in any media in connection with this competition. (See the Terms and Conditions for the full terms of our rights.)
It's important to note, however, that you still own the copyright to everything you contribute to BBC News and that if your image is accepted, we will publish your name alongside it on the BBC News website. The BBC cannot guarantee that all pictures and will be used and we reserve the right to edit your comments.
By entering, entrants will be deemed to have agreed to be bound by these rules.