You're getting there, Mike. This will certainly be an important pic for the family photo album, really memorable. However I also know that you want to improve, so you won't mind that I bring up a minor negative. Your reflection in the glass behind labels this as an amateur snapshot. Beware glass or reflective surfaces behind! To help minimize that effect, remember to shoot this kind of portrait 'wide open' (small f number). Sometimes if you have fast glass you need to stop down (make f number bigger) a little to keep all faces sharp. Here, both faces are about the same distance away from the camera so you could open up quite effectively. This would help to blur the background, dissolving those distracting background details into obscurity.
I know I told you to shoot with good light, to avoid the kind of problems you had indoors. Here your son is squinting a little, so he is telling you that this is a little too bright. I like how you took the pic in the shade, but if you were also in the shade you would not likely have been seen in the background glass.
Finally, a famous professional once generalized, that if you aren't happy with your pics, then get closer. You need to trim away all unnecessary details to emphasize the subject. In this sense your other pic of your daughter is more successful. I like the idea of a vertical format here because most of the unnecessary details are to the side. You may not realize it but your Elan (and Rebel) viewfinder doesn't show you a 100% view of what you are taking, it's more like about 95%. Therefore when you snap the pic, remember that a hair of light outside of what you are seeing will end up captured.
thanks carlen, yea i thought about vertical after the thought but like you said im still improving, i just bought a digital rebel so im going to the digital side. 35mm cost to much and it will be easier to experiment with digital.
Cute, I can see you're really improving. Next time maybe try a vertical shot rather than a horizontal to better fill the frame with your sons. Just experiment and keep shooting. :)
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{K:6789} 7/26/2006