Noob question - Duo pictures!

Well, that picture doesn't seem bad exactly. What is it you are displeased with specifically?

 

One of them seems closer than the other, so when you're using such a shallow depth of field, it makes a difference. You could try keeping them on the same plane, or choosing a higher f-stop. I can't tell what the f-stop is that you used in the photo above, but maybe using f4 or slightly higher might give better results?

 

When shooting at wide apertures (i.e. small f-numbers like f/1.8), your depth of field is quite thin. Larin covered the usual methods to deal with it: keeping the subjects the same distance from the camera (even slight leaning could affect it) and/or using smaller apertures like f/2.8-4 or even 5.6.

The depth of field at f/1.8 is thin enough at close range that for even only one doll's face at an angle, it is possible for one eye to be in focus, and the other not. Below is an example shot with my Canon 50mm f/1.8 at max aperture. Lead eye is in focus, the rear eye not.

 

Beautiful dolls!

First off...I suggest you actually read the manual for your camera. That's a lot of camera for a nooby. Not too much, but you really should be ready to do a little study. More than that, you'll find folks throwing lots of terms around here and it really helps if you know how those terms apply to your particular camera. If you don't have a manual, there's undoubtedly one online.

I suggest you go through the manual with the dolls in front of you and camera in hand and take pics adjusting all the different settings as described in the manual so you begin to get a feel for how f-stop and shutterspeed and "film" speed all interact. Letting the camera take over one or all but one of the functions and checking to see how the CAMERA thinks you should set it is also sometimes informative.

As for this particular picture...

The only thing actually in focus is the pretty do-majigger on the cute little blond's hat, and if this is unedited (except for size) the image is fundamentally overexposed, which will always make the pale parts even fuzzier. There are a ton of reasons why both of these could be true, and I at least need a little more information before making any suggestions.

a) Did you do any editing other than for size before posting the picture?
b) How close were you to the dolls when you took the picture?
c) Are you using the camera's auto focus, auto everything, or manually adjusting everything? and the corollary: what settings are you using? (Even in automatic everything, there are probably adjustments you can make that could be affecting these aspects of the photo. Not familiar with the Rebel (sigh...I want one. I really want one.) but I'm sure it's got a "macro" option and the "+/-" to adjust exposure.
d) how accurate would you say the color is?

 

ARGH! I just lost my reply!

Nice Momma!

The great thing about a highpowered camera is that they can be smart as well as dumb. You can set in on automatic, then play with that +- and compare the changes the camera's computer told it to make by comparing the image information. (in PS...File/file info/camera tab.) See what gets you the lighting you want.

It's no sin to PS! Have fun with it! It's just that if you're looking for feedback on the photography itself, we need to see the actual picture you took. One thing PS is designed to do is digitally reproduce certain camera settings. But it needs to have the information to work with. That's one reason I tend to under expose rather than over expose (not by a lot, but enough to make certain the information in the doll's face is there. If the face has gone to white in the pic, chances are you won't get it back. A darker image contains an amazing lot of information you can bring out.

I'm betting that cool camera has the option to go completely automatic or aperture priority or shutter speed priority. playing with those three settings can also help you get a feel for how to adjust them for the best results. (Back when I started, you had to do all this with real film! EXPENSIVE! With the digitals, it's all free. So...play with your camera and try to get the look you want using the camera rather than photoshop. Try also to just get a really good, clear photo. Rudolf Nureyev, IMO the finest male danseur ever to put on ballet shoes, once said (and I paraphrase) that you learn the rules (in his case the basic positions) so that you know when and why and how to break them to get the effect you want. In this case, it's how do I reproduce what I see in a digital photo.

One of the problems with white in an image (and yours had a lot of white) is that it stresses the eye and pops out, overpowering everything. A white or light resin will pop out more than a dark one and the camera will catch that rather than the color flecks of the faceup. This will affect the overall color of the doll. It's another reason to underexpose and to watch your white balance. Old lesson from the great artists of history...reserve white only for your brightest highlights.

White backgrounds are deadly. They reflect white light onto everything and overwhelm the lens. Generally speaking, for a portrait, a midtone neutral color in the background will help you get a good exposure on the subject. Avoid busy patterns and stark contrast. (Again...this can all be played with. Just saying that your background can really affect the photo color/exposure balance.)

Anyway...hope that helps rather than just confuses. The main thing it, nothing replaces trial and error and that trial and error is free!

 

I'd suggest avoiding "A" or "green box mode" and stick to the priority modes. For this kind of thing you'll probably want to use aperture priority (Av on Canon), as it will let you control your depth of field and will take care of the shutter speed for you. A tripod is almost a necessity in this situation, as your shutter speed will probably fall too low to handhold unless you crank the ISO up to levels where the image is horribly noisy. (Grainy) With a tripod, you can basically leave the camera on ISO 400 or so, set your aperture, and press the button without worry.

Shooting RAW and fixing white balance in Adobe Camera RAW when you import them is probably a smart idea if your camera was made prior to 2009 or so. Auto white balance on older cameras wasn't great, setting it manually can be a pain, and while RAW files are big, memory cards and hard drives are cheap these days, while the time you'll have to take to restage and reshoot a whole set because the WB was messed up probably isn't.