Hi Jess!!
Thanks for submitting your assignment!
First, you’ve done well and completed the requirements of this assignment.
Now, here are some ideas for how to improve your images.
For your shutter speed image one thing you can do is try what’s called “panning”.
Here are a couple examples of this technique in action:
Jimmy by Hamed Saber, on Flickr
Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV by Ed Callow [ torquespeak ], on Flickr
Family Outing by judepics, on Flickr
In your case you would have the police motorcycles in focus and the background out of focus…
Here is a quick tutorial on how to achieve that effect:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4449620_pan-photography.html
Now for your shallow depth of field image.
This is a nice little image except that it has a major problem. I can make out what’s in the background quite easily. I see a house/building and a tree quite clearly. These are distracting in an image with shallow depth of field.
When shooting a photo with shallow DoF you should really ensure that there isn’t anything to detract from the image in the background.
For example:
Grains of salt by kevindooley, on Flickr
Touch down. by digitalpimp., on Flickr
I hope these tips are useful!
Thanks for your submission!
Also, are you on Twitter? If so can you add yourself here.
Finally, the photography contest is on for this month.
Oh and it’s Aperture, not AperAture 😉