I posted in the share section too but would like to know what i can do to improve on these. More people after seeing these would like me to do their family pictures and I would like to improve so they get their moneys worth.

They all were taken at 89th street and I used a SB-600 with a umbrella to the left

In the first photo, I would have put the flash to the right side. You were using "broad" lighting and I think "short" lighting would have been better.

When shooting people, especially bigger people (like me), lighting the side of the face that is away from the camera is a better idea. That means the camera is photographing the "shadow" side of the face. This slims the face and is more appealing. It is called "short" lighting.

The way it was lit is "broad" lighting and tends to broaden the face and is not as flattering.

I hope that helps.

Thanks Mark! This is why I joined this club to get input from people like you guys. I also want to thank you for the input on the meter too.

If you will be at the meeting tonight, please come over and say "Hi."
I am not sure who you are.

Mark said EXACTLY what I was going to say about the lighting! About attire....black w/jeans was an excellent choice; however, I would have suggested that they all wear 3/4 sleeve shirts like the young lady 4th from left. People in general look better with fewer skin sags, bulges, or wrinkles...one of the #1 protests from women that I photograph is, "can you make my arms thinner?" The answer is yes, but less work needs to be done with longer sleeves.
There is a form of posing known as "body blocking", and is definitely a plus to have a firm grasp of while posing people of varying sizes. In the group of ladies, I might have chosen one of the three center girls to be out front, in turn blocking the body of the front woman....however, I can see why the woman to the right is in that position in line! Perhaps a two-line/row triangle, with the three center ladies in the front sitting on the sand, the two ends either on a knee or on opposite hips (kinda hard to describe). Like Mark said, if you stop by, we might be able to help even further.
Great shots that you've got there though!

Thanks again guys. Its been busy at work and working late on Tuesday stopped me from coming to the meeting. I'll make sure to get with you guys and introduce myself next meeting if work lets me lol!