Two (more technical) critiques for the two of you (@rohanp and @k314):
1) Make sure your lens is clean.
@rohanp, I can tell that your lens was dirty by the hazy look that your pictures have. I'm presuming you're using your phone. Before you take a picture, wipe the lens with your shirt (so long as it's reasonably clean) just to get the fingerprints & schmutz off of it.
If you're using an actual camera, clean the lens with a lens cloth when it gets dirty. Camera lenses are a lot more delicate than smart-phone lenses. They've got thin coatings to help improve image quality. The best way to clean a camera lens is to keep it clean in the first place; use the lens cap to keep the lens clean when you're not using it.
2) Unless you're going for a specific look, use indirect ("soft") lighting
Direct lighting makes you squint, throws harsh shadows on your face, and generally makes you look like a serial killer. If you can stare into the light source, it's direct lighting.
Indirect lighting lights your face without creating harsh shadows. You get indirect lighting when light bounces off of things (e.g. walls or floors) or is filtered by something "porous" (e.g. clouds or tree leaves).
I might throw together a quick reference of direct vs. indirect lighting styles.
@k314, regarding the boat pic: I'd say it's a no-go. I'd rather see a shot of you from the front of the boat with you sitting confidently behind the helm.
