Manual Focus & Manual Mode - how'd I do?

[LifePhotography08]

My Hot Native

Camera: Canon Rebel XS
Exposure: 1/100
Aperture: f/1.8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Flash: Off

I could use a little help with my manual focus - how does this look? I just got my 50 mm lens and am having a blast but it seems to work better with manual focus and that's where I think I fall short.

And another thing - this is one of the first pictures I have taken in Manual Mode - do the settings seem to work?

Thanks for any info!

[PS*]

Its a little soft. The indicator dot isn't always perfect for focusing success but its a good jumping off point, esp when you are manually focusing. Try stopping down a little, you just got the lens and 1.8 is so nice to shoot at but sometimes its sharper if you try 2 or 2.8

[LifePhotography08]

I'll try that thanks. And how do you know if it's really in focus just looking at it on the camera? I don't want to miss a good shot just because it looked in focus on the camera and get to the computer and find it's way off. Manual focus scares me.

[PS*]

I am not 100% positive but I think Canon has a green focus confirmation dot under the image when you look through the view finder to the left. As you are focusing on your image, and you can practice with something stationary you'll see it pop up and vanish until you nail the focus and then it stays. I may wrong but if it is an older lens may not provide a focus confirmation.

[LifePhotography08]

I don't have a dot at all. And it's a brand new lens.