I think I'm metering better, choosing the right light, printing better, using a better film developer and a decent tripod with level has made a world of difference.
Are you hand-holding these shots? These look so formal that to me, they need to be done on a tripod for precise framing and alignment. This one also looks a lot flatter/grayer than the first one. Is that the scanner, or is it the print?
The print is FAR better than the first attempt. As I said in the header I am using a good Manfrotto tripod , mirror lock and cable release. A gloss print does look sharper but I prefer the semi matt look.
Ok- my fault for not reading the header info thoroughly enough. I see the source of the problem - the scan isn't square, thus the horizon line is crooked.
My comment about the flatness has to do with contrast, not with sharpness. It may be the scan is mushing up your high tones, or perhaps the scanner is mis-reading the paper surface and turning your whites into grays, but the image looks very gray in this scan. The composition and overall framing are better, but the tonality is not as good on my monitor, which is the only thing I can judge by.