I recently moved from Tucson, Arizona to Modesto, California.
I finished my Ph.D. in Political Science focusing on American Government and International Relations. I have a...
Um, no. It looks like you are doing pretty well all by yourself. One thing I found with close up lenses is that sometimes it's easier to just move in and out a bit to get focused instead of trying to turn the lens as you are trying to hold the camera perfect. Does that make sense?
I think you did a good job: depth of field, soft background, clarity, details, colors, lighting. My only suggestion is to play around with the placement of "the subject" in the picture. Does this change the mood or perspective?
This is lovely with the play of light and your focus. I think you did very well. You can play with where the subject is and try off center a bit. That creates more interest. Very nice.