session with friends

Today is my first time to use off camera flash outdoor on a sunny day and I would like to know what I can do to improve. I used two 580ex II flashes with a yongnuo wireless trigger in manual mode. It was sunny that time and the background looks somewhat dark? I was next to a building with the sun behind it so I'm in the shade. I also used a hood on the lens while in the shade. I don't know if shooting in the shade effects the background to become dark?

1. bare flash on the left, bounce from umbrella on the right
f/10, 1/250, iso 100

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bump!

#1 has decent lighting but the background is too in focus, and not interesting, and the big circle under his legs is distracting. I would have shot at f5.. ish.

#2 your right on exposure. I think there was too much aperture, and it over exposed the background, if you shoot on manual, you might be able to fix that. Remember that with a flash, shutter speed does little to affect exposure (maybe not when you use high sync), and aperture can lead to over exposure pretty quick with a flash. I think fixing the flash in some manual setting or doing a reflector fill may have been better.

#3 Personally I think she's too close to the wall.

#4 I'd avoid white shirts in 'portraits', use a reflector to fill the face, lower the flash output.

The first two have a lot wrong with them if you want to please online forums... get a book on lighting because you have a lot to learn and you will learn it much better than having me blast ya in a public setting. Also if you having fun with friends, then enjoy this hobby for what it is... fun...