For what it's worth, here's my take:

#1: Although their clothes are nearly blown out, the rest of the shot still seems too dark to me. I also think the composition would be better if they weren't quite so centered in the frame.

#2: Love the idea and their expressions but I think the colors are a bit too warm. I'd love to see this same basic shot with the couple more to the right of the frame instead of so close to the center.

#3: Get lower. It's a cute shot but if you were crouching/kneeling down, it would've given the shot a really cool perspective. Just something to think about.

#4: This is great. I love their expressions and the framing of this shot.

#5: This would be my favorite if they were smiling more and/or looking at each other. Great shot though.

I know you took a bunch more (presumably from different angles too) and these are a great start but try taking some chances with some different angles and compositions. Try using more negative space. Try shooting down low or up high. Try shooting from the hip without even looking through the viewfinder. Anything that will give a unique perspective on the shot.

For a first go-around at engagement photos though, you did a good job. Just keep practicing and having fun with it!

 

Thanks for the feedback everyone. On my flickr page are the 2 full galleries with about 70 shots. Some better than these, some not...

Based on my own opinion of the shots, and the excellent words of advice here, there are a lot of nit-picky things I wish I'd done differently with the shooting. #1 is I wish I'd have had decent lighting, but I simply need to work around that better. A lot of the things people don't like too much were me trying to compensate in PS. I'd have been a bit more aggressive with the guy as far as smiling, looking at the camera, etc. I hate to say, but almost every shot I left on the floor that was almost there, he was doing something that made it not work.

As I told Alex via text message, I also truly wish I'd have brought in my 50mm 1.4. That would have helped with the lighting and the DOF, and there's no good excuse for not putting it in my pocket. As far as the composition, I wanted to give them a mix of "straight on" traditional and also some off-center and more scenic views. She loves Mt. Vernon, so I wanted to show a lot of "where" in the pics as well. Overall, I'm pretty happy considering the non-ideal conditions and my low level of experience, but now I'm anxious to do more and put the advice into play!

Thanks again guys (and lady)!

 

Steve, I think this is a fantastic first try. As others have said, there are some areas you can improve, but I think that's really only going to come with experience. It sounds like you already know exactly what you'd like to do, given another crack at it.

I absolutely love shot #4. The framing is brilliant -- you've focused the bride-to-be (most importantly!), the groom-to-be pose is great, and all while showcasing the location.

The thing is, with all the critiquing we're giving you, there's no escaping the fact that these are terrific photos! It definitely sounds like your clients are happy with them and that is paramount to any opinions, critiques or other reviews you get on this site or anywhere else. With that said though, I do have one last piece of advice: NEVER leave the 50mm 1.4 at home again for a shoot like this!!! Especially for any shots of the ring or singular portraits of the bride (or even shots with bride in focus and groom out of focus, etc...).

Overall, EXCELLENT job! You should be very, very proud.

 

Here's the killer... the 50mm was sitting in my car the whole time I was worried about changing lenses too much, so I just brought in with me the 24-70 and the 70-200. I've got more bodies coming my way, so I'll be more confident bringing more lens options with me and not wasting time or patience if (when) I do something like this again.

 

Yeah dude, I hope it didnt come off as if I was criticising, they are a millions times better than I could do. Some just appealed more to me than others.

 

It didn't Justin, but even if it did (from anyone) that's honestly what I'm looking for. I'm surrounded in my life by people who say "ah, that's so great!" when I really want to hear the worst, and can't be satisfied. Also, me staring at these photos in the wee hours of the night when I'm working on them kind of desensitizes me. I need to see them in a different light, and from different perspectives.

Bottom line: I'm happy with them, and the "client" is happy with them, so that's that. What I'm really looking for is what can I improve on for the future. There are several recurring themes in responses here, so that's where I begin!