Can you think about your photography too much?

At the moment I feel like I am thinking too much about, 'will my camera and lens do what it is supposed to do?', 'have I got the right combination of aperture, speed and ISO?', ' am I using the correct lens for this shot?', 'will it be in focus?', 'I hope there is no dust on the sensor'. I know - I worry too much, but problems associated with these issues have been happening to me a bit too much recently. I never had as much problems with focusing with the D50 as I have with the D300. Anyway, I hope I can get back to a point where I just go out and concentrate on the shot. Is the technology getting too complicated and technical issues causing more worries?
After I get on top of these issues and take some shots, I then compare what I do with my shots with others, mostly on Flickr, but yesterday I looked through the Editor's choice in the Digital Camera Photographer of the Year (http://poty2009.dcmag.co.uk/)and concluded that I just don't take enough time over the post processing bit. Thing is, I don't want to spend hours with PS and end up with the unreal look of some of the shots, especially some of the HDR crap I you see. That said, many of the finalist's shots of the POTY look over processed and cliched. (BTW - I did enter some pictures to this competition and one shot came to the attention of the Editor:




and I was asked to submit a HiRes version and supply some more info on me, so yeh, maybe I am envious of those who got through, but I can voice my opinions.)Of course, some shots were just plain outstanding.

So my point is? Well, I think there are so many photographers out there doing such great work, not only in digital, highly processed work, but also in little processed digital and film work, that I have to quickly get on top of technical issues (it's hard work James, 'Just Do It'!)and return to taking photographs which tell a story from the interests and passions I have. Be inspired and study others and never stop learning.

I am so determined to prove to myself that I can be creative and show that creativity through photography.