I have always considered myself more creative and less technical. However, since I made the switch from film to a digital slr in 2003, I see that I am becoming more balanced between technical and creative. It took awhile for me to completely understand the relationships between lenses, aperture, speed, iso and light. Understanding this relationship was made easier with the instant feedback provided by digital slr's. Once you understand how these elements work together it is really like someone turns on a light switch. Now I see the light!
There are not really any excuses for people to not take advantage of the technology in digital slr's. You can experiment with settings and exposures to see what works best. I almost exclusively shoot aperture priority because I like to control depth of field in my images. I now pay more attention to the histogram and make sure it is exposing properly. I control the iso according to how much noise is acceptable or what setting will allow me to capture the image. I also keep an eye on the shutter speed to see if it will allow me to stop motion or provide a sharp image.
If I let the camera do all of the work for me, I could literally focus on just the subject. I think this causes photographers to be somewhat lazy and not pay attention to the details in the technical settings. I think that digital slr's are significantly reducing the amount of time it takes to go from being a good photographer to a great photographer. It is important to note that this requires a good eye for composition. I'm not sure if you can train for composition other than study those who have mastered composition and see how they create their images. The other option is to just do what you like and develop your own style.
In the digital world take time to explore and don't be afraid of the technology, sit down with that owners manual and begin to explore the possibilities. Read, learn, watch, explore, play, experiment and grow as a photographer.
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