The flash is mostly yo hard I believe, don't aim at her next time but let it bounce on the wall or ceiling, much diffuser and natural light.

I never shoot portraits on a tripod, it limits you in position I believe and the shutter speed is fast enough so don't see a problem there too be honest.

Do some of you use a tripod while doing portrait?
I can see it being used though for certain kind of shots.

I'm with you Pauly, the full-frame shot feels more open then the cropped one and the black part give it some peace, the crop is quite busy.

Great photos and you know how to pan!
I'm with Pauly at giving them some space to the front of the plane, it give them some room to move.

Hyram, what has that to do with the bokeh?
Alright is this one better for the DA40? link

Here is another one of the DA35 link

All photos are made at f/2.8 so comparable.

Your focus is off, the DOF lie directly behind the bird.
If you look had the birds feet and then to the rock on the right of that you can clearly see it.

Remember that the DOF at 55mm is quite a lot wider then DOF at 250mm with the same aperture.

I've heard that the bokeh isn't that good of the DA35 at normal focus.
link
Looks rather busy on the top left don't you think?

The DA40 looks better I believe
link

In normal mode they focus the same but the Sigma have an Macro mode and that enables you to focus at 95cm so 55cm closer
This wasn't on the Dutch site I was looking at, sorry

Wrong Amin, it's how our mind perceives things
We don't have the power to analyze most of what we see, I believe that 5% or 10% is real and the rest is filled in with our imagination and experience.

Here are most of the illusions
link
link

Congratulations Dan, hopefully you had a fun day.
All the best wishes for you two and the family

link
Looks like a fun camera, wondering how good the IQ is
I really like the wide angle lens on it!

12.1 Megapixels
12.1 Megapixels for detailed images that can be printed in large sizes.

5X Internal Optical Zoom
5X internal optical zoom in a slim 1 inch body is equivalent to 28-140mm.

Wide angle lens
Wide angle 28mm lens gives an expanded perspective to images, ideal for indoor, landscape, or group shots.

2.5 inch LCD screen
2.5 inch LCD monitor features anti-reflective coating, making it easy to view, even in bright sunlight.

Waterproof
Waterproof design withstands depths up to 16 feet (5 meters) to protect from rain and spills, as well as allowing full underwater photos and video.

Shockproof
Rugged Shockproof design protects against drops of 3.3 feet, ensuring the camera is protected from hard use and the occasional “spills” on dry land.

Coldproof
Coldproof design allows the camera to be used in sub-zero temperatures of -10° Celsius (14° Fahrenheit), ideal for cold weather activities such as skiing and snowmobiling.

HD Movie Capture
Widescreen, HD movie capture records resolutions up to 1280x720 pixels at full-speed 30 frames per second.

Face Detection
Fast Face Detection technology sees up to 32 faces in 0.03 seconds, with Smile Capture and Blink Detection, for perfect portrait shots.

Shake Reduction
Pixel Track Shake Reduction (SR) ensures sharp images in any lighting condition, without adding high ISO noise. Digital SR and Movie SR are also available.

Super Macro Mode
Close focusing, Super Macro mode brings out the details in even the smallest subjects as close as 1 cm.