Why don't we ever read on Wikimedia Commons'
main page "look at this
picture: it is quite awkward, poorly lit, but it is the first picture
we've ever had to illustrate Wikipedia article "<name of page>". We
are grateful to the contributor who sent it. AND we will never delete
it even if no longer used in any Wikipedia article when better
pictures are sent by professional photographers later.
Whereas I generally do not agree with the general modality of the message
I am replying to, I definitely think that this last point is important.
Indeed, it is much easier to get recognition for a high-quality image than
for an image which an uploader made an effort to make: a rare location or
smth. This is definitely my personal experience - for instance, so far the
only recognition I got for uploading the complete set of images of Beijing
Subway (I have all 147 stations and uploaded so far about 50, more than the
number of the station images existed on Commons a month ago), categorizing
all this mess and adding pictures and links to Commons in all articles in
all languages where they exist - the only recognition I got was one of my
edits on one of Wikipedias instantly reverted. For the record, I spend
several days of my time to take the pictures, and even more time to edit
them.
Cheers
Yaroslav