1. LOSE the plastic drink cup! The shadows are a little deeper than I would consider ideal, but I think with some careful work in Lightroom you could tweak things nicely. I would also suggest leveling the horizon.
2. Nicely done monochrome, and I really like the happy, serene expression, but the cluttered background kills it.
Yes i agree; the cup was so frustrating !! haha. I was too focused on trying to get the perfect sunset lighting that i forgot about all else.
That aside, i also see what you mean by the clustered background in pic #2. I guess composition plays a large role and it was rather neglected this time round. I'll keep this in mind, thanks guys!