Photography is a real nice hobby, but it can be very cruel. You might be thinking "is not a hobby is a carrer". All photographer, even professionals go on vacations caring a camera so it will always be a hobby.
The best way to expand your abilities as a photographer is to look at other photographers work. If you see a portrait that you like study it, look for what is catching your attention, where is the light coming from? what temperature does the picture have? what's the location like? how does the background look? if possible look at the exif data and learn from it.
If you are new into photography don't try to make pictures that look exactly as the ones from profesional guys on the internet. Make pictures that make YOU happy.
"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." - Bill Cosby
Make your photos following that though. Your photos are an expression of you, you usually not take pictures of something you find boring or uninteresting right? if you take a picture is because you saw something that, for you, is interesting or nice, so try to capture that, spend some time trying to capture that something that for you is worth seeing. When you show the picture, if others don't see it, then that is THEIR problem.
Publish your pictures on the internet, print them, frame them! if you like your pictures then show them!! share them!!! they look really nice on frames trust me.
If someone comes to your house and tells you "hey that's a nice picture" make a copy for them, printing photos is really cheap these days or at least send them the digital copy. You will feel great about your self!
Golden Rule #4 is all about felling good about your work. Remember this is art, is a personal expression, don't try to please others, do shoots that you enjoy and makes you feel good about your self.
Any how, your pictures are yours, the day you start charging people for gear or your work, is the day you should start caring about what they think and it should be ONLY for the pics they pay, all the rest are yours to enjoy.
Great photographer will give you advices, you can improve this..., next time try setting you aperture to ...., if you go a little down .... Jerks (that by the way are usually no that good photographers, most of the time they are just good graphic designers) will say bad things so they can feel better about them selfs.
