You can achieve very good results quite quickly with today's software. Professional image editing, like professional painters, is clearly distinguished by expertise and experience.
As an example, one topic, image composition: once you have understood how images are "read" by viewers, you can achieve great effects with little things. This does not even have to be a grand manipulation. Usually it is enough to diminish disturbing objects and use subtle, subconscious accents to gently but vehemently lead the viewer's eye in the direction we want it to go within milliseconds. As in painting, one grows through one's tasks here, learns and develops, concentrates one's expertise and can achieve perfect results specifically and quickly.