Johnny Nighttrain said:
i shot that picture with an iso of 800 and didn't realize it til afterwords.
perhaps that's the reason why? any tips?
Actually, the higher ISO is what saved the shot from being completely underdeveloped. i'm surprised it wasn't noisier than it is, but then again, i've got my Canon S40 as reference, and it's hardly a high ISO camera.
Judging by your settings, i'd have shot at ISO 400, 1/1000 shutter, keeping your other settings the same. You could've used fill flash to lighten her up a bit, but i'm guessing it would've killed any subtlety in the shadows by her hat, no matter how many stops you knocked it back. Also, it helps to trick your camera's light meter by focusing on the subject, halfway depressing the shutter, and then recomposing the shot.
Lastly, don't be afraid to use shot bracketing when you're unsure of a shot. You'll be happy with at least one of them, and it can help you learn what settings to use in difficult situations.
Out of curiousity, are you 350D shots with the stock lens? i'll be upgrading in a month or two to the 350D (Digitsl Rebel XT) and i'd like to get an idea of what the stock lens can do.
Lastly, check out this page:
http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm
It's a long read, but worthwhile. The Useful Photographic Guidelines and the next section are especially helpful, and i finally understand the "sunny f/16" rule. Second lastly, google "zone system". i've only touched upon the basics myself, but it's been pretty helpful.
Edit: Couldn't put my finger on what was odd about her, and then i realized it. She's darker than the background. Dark colors recede, and with the background in good focus, she's fighting with it. i'm not sure how good the flash on the 350D is, but it would've helped to have another source of light on her to bring her into the foreground.