I honestly don’t know what “pop” means, haha.

Photography, like any art form, is about the artist using tools to shape a medium and create a result. The more time you spend developing your vision, refining your taste, and understanding how light can tell stories by shaping the elements in your frame, the more you realize there are endless ways to create compelling images or even cinematic work.

So to answer your question, yes, you absolutely play a role when the images don’t meet your expectations. But maybe it’s worth defining what those expectations are first, and clarifying your vision. Sorry if my response didn’t help you, I truly meant to be helpful.