Kelly,
I too am a amateur and wanted to say your pics are AWESOME!! What is the name of the flower of the first picture?

They are awesome but i'm an amateur also.

I'm not an expert but I will give you my opinion. My expertice comes from a few photography classes I've taken and years of advice from the 4H photography judge.
Picture #1
It's a great picture but it's centered. Try to remember to use the rule of third (both ways, kinda like a tick-tac-toe board). The focus should never be precisely in the middle.
#2
You do an excellent job using the lines in this picture. There is something blue on the bottom of the picture. You might want to consider cutting the bottom 1/2" off of it to remove the blue thing and have the stump/log as the full background. Also consider removing part of the left 1/2" of the picture. That part isn't as in focus as the right side.
#3
This is my favorite one. Excellent color and patterns. I love the way that it's in focus on the center and then slowly blurrs the toward the outside of the picture.
#4
I can't really comment to much on this picture. The plant is obviously dead or soon to be, and I hate it when plants die. (I do have some at home that look worse than those but that's a whole different subject). The red "bark" of the vines do make an interesting patter. I especailly like the horizontal ones in the top third of the picture.

I hope this has been helpful. Keep up the good work and good luck with the competition.

Just to add on to the above post - I think #1 is underexposed. I dont know much about the Kodak DX4530 but maybe raise the ISO level change the metering to center weight. I see that your shutter speed was 1/700 second, you can easily lower this down to 1/100 and up the aperture. Just experiment with those and make sure to not get any blown highlights, then you will lose the details of the flower petals.

Joe

Nice pics! also amateur...

Juanita

Thanks for the advice stephyloulou and in response to the blue thing i already noticed that and planned to crop it. Zitro Joe how did you know what camera i was using and other specifics, im sure its probably simple but it was like OMG ESP to me. I think i am allowed to enter two pics and was going to choose the sunflower head and the sunflowerseeds with okra pods contrasting. thanks everyone.

KellyB,
It is called 'Exif data' The picture is embedded with information about the camera and the specifics surronding it; aperture, shutter speed, metering, ISO, focal length...etc. I have a program that automatically reads it. I just rt click on the picture and select 'Exif data'. If you are running Win XP and the picture is on your hard drive you can see the exif data. Right click> properties> summary> advanced.

There you go!

Joe

I liked #2 (okra pods, etc.). Have you viewed it in black & white? Might be effective.