Need help with shots

When I look at many peoples shots here I am blown away by the quality and the detail and the overall "WOW!" factor. My shots do not approach the technical or composition "style" that most others do.

Please look at these and tell me what I should have done different from composition to the minutia of the technical aspects of settings. Thank you in advance.

http://www.richmondma.​org …ums/userpics/IM​G_0006.jpg

http://www.richmondma.​org …ums/userpics/IM​G_0095.jpg

http://www.richmondma.​org …ums/userpics/IM​G_0077.jpg

http://www.richmondma.​org …ums/userpics/IM​G_0066.jpg

Your shots are a great beginning........90% of my work i delete as soon as i look at it on my computer, and probably another 8% I eventually trash also. I think you shots, in general, could use a better background blur to knock out some of those distracting backgrounds - you could do this with a smaller f stop or stepping back and zooming in. I really like IMG_0077, but the white reflections are distracting. When you take a picture you have to think about reflections, especially with cars. Just my $.02....hope it helps. Keep Shooting.

Find better locations?

Those photos are fine for what they are. What are you expecting to come home with if your subject is in a parking lot? Are there images you've seen here that you can link to that you think yours should be more like? I mean what you're getting is fine for what you're shooting... for those to look more amazing and wow, you need a proper location and background -- the brick buildings, people milling about, etc, all make the shots look more typical. It has little to do with your composition or settings.

Thank you for the tip, I have been reading about "altering" the DOF with a change in f-stop. I will have to continue to experiment with that.
The location was in a street for a car show of sorts, I had no real choice on the location but some good advice.

Ok I look at this shot:
http://farm4.static.fl​ickr.com …50605620_fd13db​5fdd_o.jpg
From this thread
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=533221

Then I look at my shot:
http://richmondma.org …ums/userpics/IM​G_0529.JPG

and say...well at least I got a picture of a horse.

Easy comparison when you put it up like that...

Horse #1 is doing something... something exciting and it looks fast.
Horse #2 is chewing his cud (yea I know it isn't a cow)

Horse #1 is in dynamic light -- lots of highlight and shadow
Horse #2 is in flat light, nothing to outline form

Horse #1 is framed to show the action
Horse #2 is sort of a portrait of a stationary horse

Horse #1 has a natural looking background
Horse #2 looks in captivity

So you can see... again, little to do with how you are setting your camera and more to do with your choice of subjects and location. You need to get out to more exciting places to make more exciting photos, right?

Ok this guys hands are on fire...by me that is almost as exciting as it will get...ever.

http://richmondma.org …ums/userpics/IM​G_0588.JPG

You have some super stuff.I like this last one.....looks sweet in B&W as well

Thanks that means a lot to me coming from you.

Wow those look awesome! What equipment where you using? settings?

I was looking at your images in exif, seems as though you were using 640 as an ISO speed. Why so high? It looked to be plenty bright out there. I figured with such a high iso speed they would be over exposed.

You are correct, I was using 640 as it was actually really shady between the buildings.
It was a 5D with a 70-200 2.8L lens. One side of the street was dark and in shadow, the other was in direct bright sunlight. What could I have done better, lower ISO and what else?
Thank you.