No one is born with a photographer's eye. It is a skill that is developed over time. If you're shooting images and you care about making a quality image, then your eye is still in development. Mine is. That is why forums like this are so valuable to me. I can share my work and then let others evaluate it. Listen to what they say, so that when you're in the field next time, some of the advice will stick in your head. It's clear that you want to make something more than a snapshot, so keep shooting!
Here are a few points of advice that I use that have helped me:
1. Study the work of your favorite photographers. Buy their books (photo essays and collections, not instructional books) and ask yourself what attracts you to their work. Study their compositions and techniques. You don't necessarily have to try and emulate them in the field, but it will teach you to "see".
2. Take your time. Set up the shot, look through the viewfinder, and look at all the elements in the viewfinder. Separate yourself mentally from the world around you, and only on what you see in the camera. Ask yourself, "What is the subject?" How can I simplify the image and focus attention on the subject? If you find things you don't like, eliminate them, or draw attention away from them. Teach yourself to "crop" in-camera. Invest time in the shot. Some shots take minutes or hours to get exactly right. That is the price sometimes of a really great image.
3. After the image is shot, review it. Look at the histogram and make sure you have a good exposure. Evaluate the results. Is there an element that you don't like that maybe you didn't see before? Ask yourself if this is what you visualized when you snapped the shutter. If not, fix it and reshoot. Don't rely on Photoshop to make a throw-away into a fine photograph. Remember, garbage in-garbage out.
4. Don't be afraid of failure. Not every shot has to be a winner. My personal goal is to get at least one really good shot every time I shoot. I've made thousands of images, and the vast majority are never seen by anyone but me. Learn to edit your work objectively, and don't be afraid of coming away with nothing. And don't be afraid of negative responses. It's almost never personal, and others' objectivity is a valuable resource. At least you'll know what didn't work !
shutterpup, it is clear that you have the drive to make great images. I hope you'll continue to drive yourself to improvement. Shoot enough and dedicate yourself to improvement, and you are bound to succeed. I hope all of these comments can help you. Let criticism guide you to better results. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts. It takes time and a LOT of exposures. But you CAN improve and you CAN succeed!