I see this thread got revived. I honestly, lol'd a bit (ok, a lot).
Anyway, despite being made to feel unwelcome in the thread, here's my attempt at a conciliatory contribution. I'm not a professional photographer by a long shot, and haven't had the privilege of studying photo-journalism or photography. I'm a hobbyist, who takes pictures for personal pleasure. Over the years, with a hobby that's spanned nearly 20 years (I owned the first Sony Mavica digital camera that saved to floppy disk!), I've shot with Nikon, Sony, Canon, Apple iPhone and now with Sony mirrorless.
The best looking pictures, for me, were the ones I took when I was enjoying myself with the tool I happened to be using. Most times, these were with Canon... particularly when I first stepped up from a pro-sumer point-and-shoot to a DSLR in 2005. Currently it's with a Sony A6000 mirrorless. But I've had great times shooting with Nikon and the iPhone brings opportunities to take photographic creativity to a different place.
I have also, over the years, had the surprising privilege of being contacted from time to time, to have some of my pictures published. Years ago, it was when my pics were up on Flickr. More recently, the approaches come via Instagram or Facebook. There aren't many of them, about 15-20 in total, but enough to make me feel validated and enthusiastic about the hobby. Mostly, they have been published by by SA Tourism, some by Cape Town Magazine, and, since earlier this year, at least one international tourism company exclusively uses my Cape Town pictures.
I'm a 100% wannabe... so whenever I get contacted to have one of my pictures published or used, it's a bit of a surprise. I see all the technical flaws and am aware of all the "better" pictures of the subject I may have attempted to capture. Yet, for some reason, there's that wonderful validation when someone else feels *your* picture is worthy. What it has reinforced, is that a "good looking picture" is always contested, and is always a matter of personal taste, often influenced by the emotion it may trigger in the eyes of the viewer. It has nothing to do with the brand on the instrument you happen to be using at the time... Nikon, Canon, Sony even a smartphone are equally capable of taking a breath-taking shot.
Below is a sprinkling of some pictures that have either been published or featured online in some way, other than my own instagram feed. They've been taken with Canon (mostly), Sony (a few), Nikon and an iPhone 7. All pictures are taken in RAW and processed in Lightroom. I'm deliberately not attaching any picture to a camera brand, to underscore the point, that a good picture (or crappy, depending on how you see these) can be taken with any camera.
More importantly, this is a hobby that brings great personal pleasure to self, and joy to others. It's not deserving of the kind of acrimony displayed in this thread. We should all be out there shooting, taking pictures with smartphones, with point & shoots, with DSLRs, Nikons, Canons, Sonys, or whatever happens to bring enjoyment.
A Nikon vs Canon debate is a superfluous. The more you're enjoying what you're doing, the more great pictures, you will take. And the more you will respect the pictures taken by others. If anyone wants to get into photography these days, and wants to learn to take good pictures, I would share with them my own personal experience, and that is that is I am having the most fun and enjoyment with Sony's mirrorless system. I appreciate and respect that others may find their enjoyment elsewhere. Enjoyment matters.
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. Since I'm not a pro, I honestly capture and edit for my own personal taste (which has evolved over the years), then see what happens. I like my pics punchy and somewhat saturated. I'm sure others hate it (in the same way that some love Canon and hate Nikon, or love B&W but hate colour). My pics from 10 years ago, look nothing like the pics I take today. If the peeps who publish my pics asked me to change it, I probably wouldn't either, since it's a 100% self-indulgence. 
I do it for peeps like you.
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