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Critique Me – Erica at E. Hagan Photography
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Remember:
-Read How to Critique a Photo
-Make a critique sandwich – something positive, something you would have done differently, something positive
-My rule: no improvement tip = deleted comment
-This will benefit the person leaving the photo critique just as much if not more than the person receiving the critique.
-If you would like to have an image critiqued be sure to read How to submit an image for critique.

Thanks to Erica at E. Hagan Photography for submitting the following image.
Settings: ISO 100 | SS 1/125 | f/1.8
E. Hagan Photography

60 Comments
  • June 2, 2014 at 11:17 AM

    I love the soft haziness in the background, and the soft feeling of the whole photo in general. I notice how his foot is a little cut off at the edge so I might have backed up just a bit to get the whole foot in there and left the same spacing like there is by her foot. But overall very dreamy!

  • June 2, 2014 at 11:18 AM

    I love the composition!! It’s so flattering how his legs are to one side and hers are to the opposite. I love how it’s dreamy and pensive. I think it’s overexposed or highlites could be adjusted a bit. Perhaps the greens could be increased a bit? Beautiful photo even if you didn’t take any suggestions and apply them though! Great job.

  • June 2, 2014 at 11:22 AM

    I love the overall look of this image! The natural light used is fantastic! I think I would have tried to get the couple in the lower third of the image and given a little more room at the top for the trees and sky, I am a big fan of the rule of thirds. I absolutely love the pose as well, I really like that he is looking down at her while she is looking at the camera. This is a fantastic picture!

  • Kat
    June 2, 2014 at 11:22 AM

    Great shot. The couple look crisp (from my tiny screen:)), which is great. I like the dof, but i feel like its lacking in depth and richness. Play around with levels in ps to achieve more richness in your bachpkground so that the while image pops more. Right now the couple is fun and vibrant and your background is a little dull. Great job overall:).

  • Mandi
    June 2, 2014 at 11:25 AM

    This photo is so beautiful. It says so many things just by the way he is looking at her! Its tough to critique it!! Just like Leilani said, id back up just a tad and get the whole foot in. I love how the background is faded and soft so the subjects stick out. So beautiful!!!

  • Dawn Kincade
    June 2, 2014 at 11:29 AM

    Love the location you choose and the pose. As a beginner I am not really seeing anything that I would change. I LOVE color but also enjoy B&W…I would have made the colors pop more and it looks like it would be great in B&W too.

  • Heather
    June 2, 2014 at 11:31 AM

    Lovely, just lovely! I love how he is looking so adoringly at her as if she’s the only one in his world and nothing else matters. I too think it’s a tad overexposed which causes him to almost disappear into the background, but it’s not so much that I’d change anything drastically. I might play around in an exposure filter and increase the saturation of the greens but other than that I wouldn’t change a thing.

  • June 2, 2014 at 11:31 AM

    I’m new to photography so I’m no expert but I do have my opnions….don’t we all……lol I love the composition of the picture and the way he is looking at her while she looks at the camera. I feel that the blanket needs to be a darker color as I find the white very distracting. Especially with his white shirt. The two white colors seem to jump out at you and you lose the coloring in between those two items. Otherwise it is a beautiful picture!

  • June 2, 2014 at 11:33 AM

    I love the composition and the warm feel to the whole photo. I love the way he is looking down at her beautiful! I think the highlights could be adjusted a little because of his shirt. Great dept of field! Great job.

  • June 2, 2014 at 11:34 AM

    Hi there. I like this image a lot. I love the way he’s looking at her, their connection points and the visible tattoos (some leading lines there too). Background is creamy dreamy. I would say a few things about this for CC. The subjects overall look soft. Without knowing the lens you chose, I would say you’re taking some risks shooting at ss125 AND at 1.8. Not a lot of room for error there. Be careful of that if you are using say your 85mm or larger lens. At 125 you’re on the cusp of hand holding and being able to get a sharp image. I would also say to increase your contrast a bit (at least on background – you can brush off subjects) and look to darken background to emphasize subjects even more. Lastly, I might give yourself some more room for cropping by your client. If they wrap a canvas or want a standard size image they’re going to lose their feet on both sides. I have trouble with that one too. I’m never far enough back. Overall, great pose, love the connection and pretty color and background bokeh.

  • Rosie
    June 2, 2014 at 11:37 AM

    I love the overall look of this photo. The setting is beautiful! The first thing I noticed about it was his foot is cut off, so I would’ve backed up a little to get his whole foot in the frame. I would’ve tried adding a little more color to the photo by saturating the background a bit more. Great shot though! :)

  • June 2, 2014 at 11:38 AM

    I love the shot! The only thing I would play with in post processing is making the background a little darker so the male “pops” a little more.

  • June 2, 2014 at 11:39 AM

    A very nice photo. Having the couple in the middle works well with the slope of their legs to either side. It helps draw the eye into the moment. She looks dreamy and in love… He appears very caring with his eyes on her. The background could use a little more contrast, maybe darken a little or enhance saturation. Overall, though, very nice. A good capture the couple can enjoy for years to come.

  • June 2, 2014 at 11:39 AM

    I like the hazy effect or the dream like quality to this picture.
    I would have centered the picture a tad bit more and had the girl open up her eyes a little bit more. Right now it looks like one of them is closed.If more of her eyes were visible, she would have made an instant connection to the viewer and it would have been more striking.
    I love the bokeh effect!

  • Amy
    June 2, 2014 at 11:41 AM

    I love the romantic feeling of this photo. I noticed the foot too, only because I myself can be guilty of that. I too would play with curves in ps to define and give it a little more richness. Overall, I think it’s lovely. I feel their love. Great job.

  • Lindsey
    June 2, 2014 at 11:43 AM

    Such a sweet photo with so much emotion!
    Like other’s, I would have taken a step back to avoid cutting the tip of his foot off and would like to see them more in the lower thirds of the picture.
    I love how the background is light and “airy”. It would be a great photo if the colors popped a bit more, but I think it would take away from the feeling it gives as is.

  • Susan
    June 2, 2014 at 11:46 AM

    Love this picture! Im just a amateur bit I agree with backing up just a bit to get his feet in the pic. I would also change the color of the blanket to make it pop some more. I love the way it capures him staring at her.

  • Jess Ziegler
    June 2, 2014 at 11:47 AM

    I really like the focus in this photo. I would reposition the man so that he was sitting up a little more so he doesn’t look uncomfortable. Maybe increase the reds a little and bring out the green. Also, I might possibly increase the depth of field so that both of their bodies are better in focus. The photo is gorgeous!

  • Enid
    June 2, 2014 at 12:12 PM

    I love the composition of this photo! Especially with the attention to detail with the hands placement, with him holding hers near her belly and then looking down at her lovingly. It’s a very touching and emotional image. I feel that the image is ever so slightly over exposed. I would suggest bringing it down a notch and bringing out the color in the greens behind the couple to give a little more separation between them and the background. Overall, beautiful photo!

  • Dixie
    June 2, 2014 at 12:28 PM

    I really like the way their bodies together form a triangle; it gives a nice balance to this photograph. Seeing that there is room, I would have turned the camera just a little to the right to include the rest of his foot. I like the hazy look, it goes with their relaxed state, but I think the aperture choice is too large for the distance this was taken at. I would increase the contrast just a little to bring out some details, or I would have chosen to shoot this at F4.5 or so to bring out more detailing in their faces and leave some softness in the background. The relaxed mood adds ease and an endearing quality to this photograph; their connection is felt and that is what matters.

  • Jackie S
    June 2, 2014 at 12:31 PM

    Such a beautiful picture. I LOVE the positioning of “Mom & Dad”, she looks so happy and he looks so in love. LOVE it!!! I agree with everyone about cutting off the foot and it looks a little over exposed (the first thing I thought when I looked at the picture is man, it is very bright, which shouldn’t be the first thought, her legs and arm seem quite light as well as dad’s shirt). I think I would also have had Dad put his legs together so there isn’t a gap between his knees. GREAT picture though..seriously, I love the positioning of Mom and Dad.

  • Tiffany Martin
    June 2, 2014 at 12:35 PM

    I really like this photo and your use of natural light. As a beginner I don’t really see anything I would change, except to get his whole foot in the picture. This pose is great and I love how he is looking at her (so sweet)

  • colleen
    June 2, 2014 at 12:36 PM

    I love the background.. and you captured a nice feel… I think your picture is a little over exposed . As many highlights have been lost. My choice would be to close down your lens.. and then your subject would be in better focus.. The background would still have plenty of bluer as the subject is far from it.. looks like you guys were having fun shooting this

  • colleen
    June 2, 2014 at 12:37 PM

    I love the background.. and you captured a nice feel… I think your picture is a little over exposed . As many highlights have been lost. My choice would be to close down your lens.. and then your subject would be in better focus.. The background would still have plenty of blur as the subject is far from it.. looks like you guys were having fun shooting this

  • June 2, 2014 at 1:09 PM

    Creamy background! Swoon ;) Great location as well! With not a whole lot I would change, I would like to see a tad bit more contrast. I think this image would really stand out! I am a stickler for chops (if it is intentional I keep them at joints…hips, knees, elbows) so I would also suggest being careful of that & give yourself some wiggle room to allow for cropping of enlargements & canvas wraps. Your subjects are positioned nicely & I love the emotion captured in this image!

  • June 2, 2014 at 1:18 PM

    I love the softness. I would have either cropped their shoes out or had them take them off. I would have cropped more of the sides and the bottom to really make them the focus point

  • Mary
    June 2, 2014 at 1:19 PM

    The softness of the photo (saturation, depth of field, pose, time of day) is very nice. It works well together. I’m not that bothered by the foot but backing up one step wouldn’t hurt. What distracts me id the white blanket. my eyes keep going back to the white blanket. Especially since her dress is so dark. Makes the blanket pop even more. What I’m most impressed with is the pose. I struggle with posing couples and groups. They just look so natural. Good job!

  • Ruthie
    June 2, 2014 at 1:26 PM

    Beautiful capture. In addition to bringing down the exposure, I’d do some cropping. It might look nice to crop the foreground out completely. Also, you could copy the image and crop close in on the couple to just get him looking at her, since that is what makes this image such a winner.

  • Megan
    June 2, 2014 at 1:43 PM

    I love the pose of the couple! This is a great image. I would have saturated a little more and exposed a little less for more color pop but that’s just a personal preference! I love the softness of the light around them as well! Great job! :)

  • Karen
    June 2, 2014 at 1:52 PM

    Beautiful location! The splashes of green in front of the various shades of brown gives the background a life of its own. I also like that the subjects appear to be in a little dip in front of the trees. It makes it look like a cozy, secret spot in the woods. I would like to see this as a tighter shot. Something about their legs/feet is distracting to me. Love the expressions on their faces – very sweet!

  • Patsy Lander
    June 2, 2014 at 2:17 PM

    I love the pose and composition of the couple. His white shirt and the blanket they are on see a bit overexposed to me. I would love to see what a soft vignette would do for this image. Your posing skills are spot on!!!

  • June 2, 2014 at 2:26 PM

    This is a beautiful photo. I really like the soft feel of it and their pose. It looks a little overexposed to me especially the blanket which draws my attention. Overall though the shot is gorgeous.

  • Jennifer Rodriguez
    June 2, 2014 at 3:08 PM

    I love this photo! I like the light coming through the trees in the background. Just like others posted above, his foot was cut off and there could be a little more color saturation but overall it’s a great photo and I’m sure one that this couple will enjoy looking at for years to come!

  • June 2, 2014 at 3:54 PM

    What a lovely photo! It looks like you’re peeking in on a quiet moment between the two of them. There’s probably not much you can do about it now, but I do notice that one of his feet is a little cut off, so that’s something to be aware of when framing your shot. (I just took some photos of my toddler and realized I cut off his hand at the bottom of the image, so this is really fresh in mind.) I might also try to eliminate a bit more of the ground in the bottom of the image, allowing the couple to be more in the bottom third, with the trees filling up more of the top two-thirds. Overall though, it’s a beautiful shot! I love that it’s not a completely overdone pose – it doesn’t look “trendy.”

  • Rachel
    June 2, 2014 at 3:59 PM

    I love the pose in this photo. There is a beautiful story being told here. It looks to me like it’s a bit overexposed. The female subject looks a little washed out. It might be the blanket that is causing that. It’s still an amazing photo even if no changes are made.

  • June 2, 2014 at 4:29 PM

    the posing is great! i think id back up to get his whole foot and add a little more color. the blanket is so bright it distracts my eye. the coloring is so light it almost make me want to squint. picture is lovely though

  • Mike aka OPA
    June 2, 2014 at 4:54 PM

    I like the overall composition, his foot… yeah I would have backed up just a bit to get it in and equal out the distance with hers from the side.
    I love to over expose and see nothing wrong with it, if that was your intention bravo, if not and you shot this in raw then you can go back and fix that.
    I would take the highlight slider and move it all the way to the left in Lightroom which would bring back much of the detail you lost with the over exposure.
    Now, when I over expose photos I almost always bring out the colors more. To my eyes this balances the photo and makes everything happy :)
    I too like the rule of thirds, but enjoy breaking that rule when I think the composition allows it. In your photo I like how you lead us to your couple with OOF (out of focus).
    I’ve only been shooting for about 1 year, if any of my suggestions were wrong then I apologize, hopefully Courtney or some of the more experienced photographers will correct me so that we both learn something new today.
    Very nice photo

  • Sharon
    June 2, 2014 at 5:07 PM

    I love the way he is looking down at her. My only critiques would be up the contrast a little, maybe add a slight subtle vignette, other than that this is a lovely photo that I would be happy to have.

  • jacque j.
    June 2, 2014 at 5:22 PM

    I am new to this, so please forgive my language! I love the composition and how he is looking down at her as she looks at the camera. I feel like I Would have punched the color up by adding a little contrast. Also, I feel like the gentleman’s leg is a little awkward on first glance. Overall the photo is super adorable and the semi blurry background really pulls my eyes to the couple! Great job.

  • Julie
    June 2, 2014 at 5:35 PM

    Lovely, soft background but possibly a little overexposed as the male subject doesn’t stand out enough. Perhaps increase the contrast a bit more. I love the tenderness of his gaze and it is a lovely moment you’ve caught but the pose looks a bit unnatural if a little uncomfortable. Perhaps a slightly different pose, more upright? In any case, a beautiful photo.

  • June 2, 2014 at 6:30 PM

    Overall, the image is lovely…the hands of the mom are a little off…the one under her face is bent at a very sharp angle and their hand-holding looks like balled fists and doesn’t match the overall “dreamy” quality of the image. I am a “true color” fan and would like to see more contrast and depth in the color…did you shoot RAW or JPEG? The location is very pretty and has lots of potential…depending on the “look” you are going for, the blanket is rather stark with it’s pop of white in that space…maybe a patchwork quilt or a shade darker? Again…that depends on what you were going for originally and there could be special meaning for that blanky to the couple…??? etc. Cheers!

  • June 2, 2014 at 7:26 PM

    I love the soft dreamy feel of this photo. THe pose is wonderful and I love how he is looking down at her while she looks straight into the camera. I would have backed up a bit to get his whole foot in the frame. It distracts me and my eye keeps going there. Also, maybe add a little contrast to the photo and bring down the highlights on his shirt and on the blanket. Otherwise, this is a lovely photo that I sure they will love!

  • Cyrus Tookes
    June 2, 2014 at 9:26 PM

    Great pic! Love the overall composition, facial expressions, location. You may consider using another more neutral color blanket next time. My eyes tended to be drawn right to the blanket upon first seeing the image. Love the soft effect as well….

  • rosetta
    June 2, 2014 at 11:26 PM

    I love how the light shines through the trees, love the expressions. I would have(if I remembered) To back up more so both of his feet were in the photo. Very creative!

  • June 3, 2014 at 12:27 AM

    The main subjects are a bit soft especially her face. Shooting that distance at F/1.8 your DOF is quite shallow. If you were using the 50mm lens, either the F/1.8 or the F/1.4, both at the wide open end, pictures are too soft.

  • June 3, 2014 at 2:21 AM

    I love the focus, really nicely done! I would just have stepped/zoomed out just a tad to get his foot and the blanket in 100% but they are lit really well and the whole photo has a lovely dreamy quality to it :) x

  • June 3, 2014 at 11:41 AM

    I really like the overall look and feel of the photo. But to me it kinda looks like the guy I wasn’t ready yet, a little like he was adjusting his position.

  • June 3, 2014 at 2:55 PM

    I love way he is looking so adoringly at her. I think overall it’s a great photo. I would’ve zoomed out or backed up just a bit to get his.feet in the photo as well. And maybe added a bit more contrast to darken the greens a bit as the white shirt kind of makes him fade into the background more since the white blanket tends to draw theveye torwards it and not so much to the subjust. I think a cream or tan would’ve been great.

  • A. Fowler
    June 4, 2014 at 1:56 PM

    I am very new to all this. I’ve been taking and loving photos for years, but just started trying to up my game recently. That all being said, I love everything about this. Compilation, depth of field, posing, everything. Great job.

  • A. Fowler
    June 4, 2014 at 1:59 PM

    I am very new to all this. I’ve been taking and loving photos for years, but just started trying to up my game recently. That all being said, I love everything about this. I would have pulled back a bit so as not to cut off the edge of his foot; but otherwise, composition , depth of field, posing, everything. Great job.

  • June 9, 2014 at 12:07 PM

    I love the composition of this photo! It has such a great candid feeling like you walked up on the spontaneously. The only thing I would change is the brightness of the blanket distracts some from the overall picture. An absolute great capture though!

  • June 9, 2014 at 6:08 PM

    The composition is great, I love the lighting and the soft tree behind the subject. Its a beautiful scene of the couple. Focus is soft though. Try increasing SS, closing your aperture, or using a longer focal length (like a 85 or above).

  • Lindsay
    June 9, 2014 at 6:24 PM

    Love the posing!
    The background is the perfect setting and the background lighting is dreamy.

    There are only two things I would change:
    1)Hand placement – I’d place their hands more on her stomach rather than, well, in THAT area ;)
    2)The skin is a bit blown out. You lose detail in the faces when it’s too bright.

    But, again, I LOVE the posing. I’m going to steal this and use it on a pair of my clients! :)

  • June 9, 2014 at 10:57 PM

    Beautiful couple and the way he is looking down at her, I would have cropped out the bright background light to the grass which would have zoomed in more on the couple and their beauty. Her dress and his black shoes anchor the photo, beautiful couple and shot

  • June 9, 2014 at 11:12 PM

    I love the haze and setting, a beautiful setting for the couple. I to would have backed up a tad just to avoid the foot being cropped. I also feel like the white is a bit overexposed. I love how she’s looking at the camera and he’s looking at her.

  • Katie Wright
    June 10, 2014 at 8:10 AM

    What a beautiful location! I love the light in the background. I feel like her skin is a little bright, and a little different composition to get more of the background and less of the foreground. I also light the way you have them posed. I recently took some pictures for the first time for my brother and his wife, and I really struggled with posing!

  • Jocey Marie
    June 10, 2014 at 9:33 AM

    Beautiful! I think the picture is great. The only thing is the little bit of his foot that is cut off.

  • Doug A
    June 10, 2014 at 9:10 PM

    I like how he is looking so adoringly at her as if she’s the only one in his world and nothing else matters. I too think it’s a tad overexposed which causes him to almost disappear into the background, but it’s not so much that I’d change anything drastically. I might play around in an exposure filter and increase the saturation of the greens but other than that I wouldn’t change a thing and I’m not sure why there hands are so far down on her stomach unless she is expecting ,then I would try to enhance that part of her.

  • June 11, 2014 at 11:25 PM

    Love this picture! The color & creamy background are great. I too would say maybe stand back a bit to keep from cropping his foot (I am always getting too close as well). I live the composition & how he is looking down at her.

  • Robin
    June 13, 2014 at 3:38 PM

    I love the hazy, softness of this photo. It emphasizes the intimacy between your subjects. I also admire the composition, their hands over her baby belly, and of course how you’ve captured the beautiful look on his face! His foot is cropped a teensy bit, which can be a little distracting, but I don’t think it takes that much away from the power of this image. I might adjust contrast a little, only to make the subjects pop out a bit more from the background. Love this picture! Fantastic job!

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